Evangelion Exodus
by daikage
Summary: An AU story that explores the true fate of Eva Unit-04, its pilot, and NERV-02. Told in 26 parts. Rated for language, mild sexual situations, and violence. Classification altered to better fit story. PLEASE READ NEW NOTE!
1. Episode 01: Murphy's Luck

Evangelion - Exodus  
  
Episode One: Murphy's Luck  
  
By Jonathan Jordan  
  
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Song lyrics are by Culture Club. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.  
  
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A SECRET BASE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEVADA DESERT  
  
Hunched over their terminals, the technicians input final orders.  
  
"Cooling cycle complete. All internal cage systems in docking position." says the young male technician, his long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. His ID card says his name is Adam Turner.  
  
Outside, the large, silver monstrosity shines in the noonday sun. Nearby, a man in a form fitting flight suit makes his way toward the cylindrical extrusion from the back of the machine's neck. He reaches the entry port into the cylinder, and pauses. The technician standing there, a good 3 inches taller than the man, gestures. The man shakes his head, placing one hand onto the cowboy hat he is wearing as he steps inside.  
  
"Pilot has reached the cockpit position within the entry plug," states the second technician, a young girl in her early twenties. Her name is Angela Evans, according to her ID.  
  
"Roger. Inserting entry plug." responds the first technician. Behind the two, an older man paces. His ID card identifies him as Charles Stockton, the head Technician of NERV-02.  
  
There is a loud whoosh as the cylinder is released from the clamps holding it and inserted automatically into the machine's neck.  
  
"Plug lock-in procedure complete. Initiating first level interface. Flooding entry plug with LCL."  
  
"Main power connected. All circuits functional. Initiating power up sequence."  
  
The machine's two eyes flash to life, glowing a dull red. The thing's hand twitches slightly.  
  
"Neural synapses operating within normal limits."   
  
"First contact all clear. Opening reciprocal circuits."  
  
"Synch ratio is within acceptable parameters."  
  
"Releasing primary and secondary restraints. Releasing Safety locks 1 through 15."  
  
One by one, the mechanical locks attaching the shining humanoid to the safety cage release with a burst. The dual gates along the front of the cage open, and the machine slumps slightly. For a couple of minutes, nothing further happens. Then, the machine lifts one of its legs, taking one step then another. Snaking from the back of the unit is a large cable, tethering it to a generator. With each step it takes, the machine and pilot seem to gain in confidence.  
  
"Internal battery fully charged. Releasing umbilical cable."  
  
Doctor Stockton gives the final order. "Launch Eva Unit-04!"  
  
There is a small explosion, and the cable is ejected from the machine's back. There is a momentary pause, as the power systems are shifted over. Then, with a burst of speed, the unit begins to run. Dodging between buildings, leaping small obstacle, firing on targets. The machine displays an impressive array of moves.  
  
Suddenly, it stops moving. I shimmering aura of heat emanates from the prone figure and a section on the back begins to glow a pale white.  
  
Inside, an alarm sounds and red lights begin to flash. "ALERT! ALERT!"  
  
"What? Status report." Dr. Stockton says with a note of frustration in his voice.  
  
"Synch ratio lowering. 98%. 90. 83. 70. 45. 20%!" reports Angela. "Abnormal energy fluctuations in the S2 engine. Energy levels exceeding maximum safety parameters."  
  
With a look of fear in his eyes, Dr. Stockton grasps the cross around his neck and mutters a small prayer. "Oh my god, the S2 engine. It's...it's..."  
  
With a bright flash of white light, Eva Unit-04 disappears without a trace, taking NERV-02 and 49km of the surrounding Nevada desert with it.  
  
SIX MONTHS EARLIER; SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS  
  
"Now, why in the hell would I wanna quit the team? I've got a decent chance of goin' to the Olympics. What could possibly be better than that?" asked Lance, readjusting his cowboy hat and turning to face the man in black standing behind him.  
  
The man looks down at the shorter gymnast. "For one thing, Mr. Murphy, we can insure you never make it to the Olympics if we so desire..."  
  
"Yer threatening me now? That ain't gonna change my mind, you know."  
  
The tall man clears his throat. "As I was saying, Mr. Murphy, we have other reasons you may wish to listen to this offer. You will be given the opportunity to show your true talents off on a much more...grand scale than something as minor as the Olympics. The project we are working on is of the highest security. Even the United States government does not have full access to the test site. You would be privy to the most sensitive information, full disclosure. I can assure you, we will pay you most generously."  
  
Lance sighs as he turns back to watch his fellow teammates continue their practicing. "Why me though? What makes me so special?"  
  
A second man, previously unseen, steps from the shadows to stand beside Lance. When he speaks, an accent of some sort can be discerned. "Because this project requires a person certain specific characteristics. Our optimal candidate would be a child of age 14. However, the proper child has yet to be discovered. As this project is on a tight schedule, we have had to improvise. You are the proper size. Your age is near enough to optimal. You are both physically fit, as well as possessing a high intelligence. Frankly put, Lance, you are the closest thing we can find to the perfect replacement."  
  
"And who the hell are you?"  
  
"Me? You can call me Gendo."  
  
ONE WEEK LATER; NERV-02 HEADQUARTERS  
  
The corridors of the subterranean facility are dark and quiet. There is no sign that this level has ever even been used. At the end of one of the halls, a slight humming starts to be heard. The hum grows to a whir, which builds to a louder clanging. The floor near the door from which the sounds can be heard begins to vibrate ever so slightly. As the sound reaches a crescendo, it stops just as suddenly as it began. The double doors open and two men step out of the lift and into the corridor.  
  
As the doors slide closed behind the men, the lights flicker into being one at a time, illuminating the adjacent passages one section at a time. The shorter of the two men whistles.  
  
"Well, I'll be. That's pretty impressive. Ya got any other tricks, Doc?"  
  
"Mr. Murphy, Lance, please call me Charles."  
  
The shorter man shrugs. "I ain't quite comfortable with that yet, Doc. I don't know ya that well yet."  
  
"Fine...fine. Whatever makes you most comfortable. Follow me." Dr. Stockton says as he leads the way down one of the side corridors.  
  
"I wanted to explain to you a little about where we are and what you will be expected to do here. This is NERV-02. We are the secondary headquarters of the NERV research organization, under the guidance of the UN. Our primary objective is testing and production of advanced military equipment. You are to be the test pilot for our most recent project."  
  
"Whoa, test pilot? I think you got the wrong guy for sure now. I don't know a damned thing about pilotin' or fightin' or nothin' like that. Hell, I can hardly drive a car right."  
  
"Oh, you need not worry about that. This isn't your standard vehicle." He stops them in front of a plain looking metal door. Pulling his ID card out and swiping it through the security lock, then entering his code, Dr. Stockton opens the door. "Come on, I'll show you what you will be working with."  
  
Lance follows, cautiously, as they enter the dark room. The lights inside are much more dim, and far less prevalent than in the rest of the facility. The few lights that do exist throw just enough illumination to allow one to walk safely along the narrow catwalk that serves for a floor in this room. In the darkness, nothing can be made out. The ceiling and floor of the room stretch out of sight. The steady sound of footsteps echoing off the walls, and the occasional drip of water are the only sounds to be heard.  
  
Dr. Stockton leads the way unfalteringly, obviously knowing this room intimately. He motions for Lance to stop when they reach a small control panel at one side of the walkway's railing. With the press of a few buttons, the room is flooded in light. At first, the sudden transition from darkness to light blinds lance. As his blurred vision clears, he notices that he is staring right into the face of an enormous silver face, so big he is not even as tall as the things eye. With a small scream, he scrambles back until he reaches the opposite railing.  
  
"Wha...what the hell is that thing?"  
  
"That, Mr. Murphy, is what you will be piloting."  
  
*****  
  
The NERV-02 cafeteria is buzzing with the sounds of conversations. In a facility this large, with such a the number of people working there, such buzzing can be better described as a low roar. Lieutenants Evans and Turner are sitting at their usual table.  
  
"Have you heard? They found a test pilot for Unit-04."  
  
"No, I didn't hear that. How did you find out Angela?"  
  
She smirks as she responds. "I have my ways."  
  
The young man laughs. "I don't think I will ask for more information on that subject. So, who is it? Did they find the Fifth Child or something?"  
  
"No, nothing quite that amazing. Apparently, they found this gymnast in Texas. He's supposed to be pretty good, and he's just about the right height to fit into a plug suit and everything."  
  
"A gymnast? Well, I guess I can see that. If you are going to pick someone to pilot an Eva for testing, you'd want someone who can put it through the paces. How's his synch ratio?"  
  
"We don't know yet. He just arrived today. I haven't even seen him yet. Dr. Stockton is taking him around the facility now. You know, to get him familiar with everything. He's probably going to be shown Unit-04 today as well."  
  
"Oh man, I bet that will be a shock to the kid."  
  
"That's the other thing. I hear he's not a kid. he's supposedly 19. Not that much younger than me."  
  
Adam smirks. "Oh, I see. You're thinking that you might bag yourself an Eva pilot, huh? Now that there's one who isn't jailbait, you can do it without any worries."  
  
At this, Angela blushes and glares at him. "Adam, you are such an ass sometimes." She punches him in the arm as she grabs her empty tray and leaves.  
  
Rubbing his arm, Adam watches her go. "Ouch. She hits pretty hard for a little thing."  
  
*****  
  
"Commander Young, Lance Murphy has arrived. Dr. Stockton I showing him around now."  
  
"Perfect. Thank you, Anna. How are the preparations for Project 11-6357?"  
  
"Everything is going according to schedule. The project will be completed in time."  
  
"Wonderful. It is good to see things going smoothly."  
  
THREE WEEKS LATER  
  
The last three weeks have been the most grueling three weeks of Lance Murphy's life. When he agreed to pilot the Evangelion, he didn't realize the intense training he would have to undergo.  
  
"Y'all do this to kids normally? Isn't that technically child abuse?"  
  
"No, actually, we don't do this with the regular pilots. Because the Eva Units are attuned to their respective pilots, much of the piloting is intuitive. Since you are just a test pilot, and not the chosen pilot of Unit-04, you have to undergo physical and mental conditioning to allow you to better control your Eva." says Dr. Stockton dryly.  
  
"Wait, you're sayin' that 'cause I ain't a kid, I gotta do all of this? That don't sound right to me. I figure I could handle that big hunk of metal just as good as anyone else."  
  
"Well, right or wrong, this is part of the process. If you really want to pilot Unit-04, you will have to complete this training."  
  
Lance responds with a withering look and doesn't say another word.  
  
*****  
  
At the end of the day, Lance is exhausted. He makes his way to the showers to wash off the combination of sweat and LCL fluid. Letting the hot water run down his body to soothe his aching muscles, he reflects on why he is there.  
  
~Do I really want to pilot Unit-04? I mean, it would be exciting to be in control of a big robot like that. But, all of this poking and prodding and testing is makin' me crazy.~  
  
Lost in his thoughts, he doesn't notice the shadowy figure walk in behind him.  
  
*****  
  
Adam Turner is sitting at his console. The rest of the command center is empty, everyone having gone home. He nervously looks up when the sound of one of the other terminals catches his attention. Scanning the room, he sighs with relief when he sees nobody else there.  
  
"Whew, just a diagnostic being run. Still I better hurry before someone else comes."  
  
He turns back to his terminal and begins pressing buttons. The screen in front of him flashes from the readout of statistics and graphs, showing the vital information for Unit-04, and to a blank screen. He types in a string of code, the lines flashing by at high speed. Pausing to with the sweat from his brow, he takes one final look around the room, and hits the ENTER key.  
  
The terminal whirs into activity and a new window pops up on his screen.  
  
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##  
  
He types a word and hits ENTER.  
  
##ENTER PASSWORD: PASSWORD##  
  
##INVALID PASSWORD. SECOND ATTEMPT. PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD: ...##  
  
"Shit. What would he use for this? How about..."  
  
##ENTER PASSWORD: YOUNG##  
  
##INVALID PASSWORD. THIRD ATTEMPT. YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS TO ENTER CORRECT PASSWORD. PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD: ...##  
  
"Dammit. Think man, think. What would it be?"  
  
##YOU HAVE 20 SECONDS.##  
  
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##  
  
"Come on. Calm down and think rationally. No pressure...just the looming threat of security being called down on you, that all."  
  
##YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS.##  
  
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##  
  
Adam lets out a string of obscenities, pacing in front of the terminal and hitting his head. "You can do this. Come on."  
  
##5 SECONDS.##  
  
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##  
  
Adam begins to look desperate.  
  
##4 SECONDS.##  
  
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##  
  
Fear in his eyes, the young man begins to sweat profusely. "Arg. How could you be so stupid as to think you could..."  
  
##3 SECONDS.##  
  
##ENTER PASSWORD: ...##  
  
He pauses, a look of hope in his eyes. "Of course!" He sits in his chair and quickly types in the word.  
  
##2 SECONDS.##  
  
##ENTER PASSWORD: PATRIOT##  
  
##...##  
  
##PASSWORD ACCEPTED. GREETINGS COMMANDER.##  
  
##PLEASE ENTER SEARCH PARAMETERS: ...##  
  
Lt. Turner slumps back in his chair, the tension of the moment slowly running out of his body. "That was too close. now, let's see if we can't find what we were looking for."  
  
##PLEASE ENTER SEARCH PARAMETERS: PROJECT 11-6357##  
  
##SEARCHING.##  
  
##SEARCH HAS RECOVERED 6 FILES.##  
  
Adam types in another command and inserts a disk into the terminal.  
  
##DOWNLOADING FILE 1 OF 6. 02% COMPLETE##  
  
##DOWNLOADING FILE 2 OF 6. 23% COMPLETE##  
  
##DOWNLOADING FILE 3 OF 6. 35% COMPLETE##  
  
##DOWNLOADING FILE 4 OF 6. 49% COMPLETE##  
  
##DOWNLOADING FILE 5 OF 6. 70% COMPLETE##  
  
##DOWNLOADING FILE 6 OF 6. 98% COMPLETE##  
  
##DOWNLOAD COMPLETE.##  
  
He removes the disk from the machine, slipping it into his pocket and logging out of the system. With a slight smile, lt. Adam Turner stands and makes his way out of the Command Room. "Now, we can see just with this little project of yours really is Commander, and how much it is worth to other interested parties."  
  
*****  
  
In the shower, Lance is finally beginning to feel better. The hot water has done wonders for reducing his stress and tension. He grabs his bottle of shampoo and begins to wash himself properly, now that his aches are subsiding. Behind him, the shadowy figure begins to approach. Lance, unaware that he is not alone, begins to sing.  
  
"GIVE ME TIME. TO REALISE MY CRIME. LET ME LOVE AND STEAL. I HAVE DANCED. INSIDE YOUR EYES. HOW CAN I BE REAL. ... DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE ME CRY. PRECIOUS KISSES, WORDS THAT BURN ME. LOVERS NEVER ASK YOU WHY. IN MY HEART THE FIRE'S BURNING. CHOOSE MY COLOUR, FIND A STAR. PRECIOUS PEOPLE ALWAYS TELL ME. THAT'S A STEP A STEP TOO FAR?"  
  
The figure pauses for a moment, then begins to approach again. lance has become caught up in his singing, and has begun to add some movement that may be considered dancing to some, but looks more like a seizure in actuality.  
  
"DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE ME CRY. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE...ME..CRY!"  
  
Just as the figure is within arms reach of him, lance opens his eyes. A sudden look of fear crosses his face and he jumps back, falling to the floor.  
  
"What are you doin' in here? You ain't supposed to be here." He stammers as he fumbles for a towel to cover himself.  
  
Lt. Evans simple flashes a wicked smile. "Everyone else has gone home. It's just you and me now. I don't think anyone will mind if I am here."  
  
"But...it ain't fitting for a lady to be in the men's shower like this Angela."  
  
"Well, lucky for both of us, I'm no lady." she says as she reaches him. She slides to her knees next to him and, wrapping her arms around his neck, kisses him deeply. "And, please, call me Angel."  
  
All Lance can do it blush.  
  
TWO MONTHS LATER  
  
"Synch ratio at 60% and rising, Doctor." the junior technician reports.  
  
"Excellent." Dr. Stockton gets on the radio. "Good work Lance. Don't forget your training, though. Stay focused."  
  
"I'm tryin', Doc. You keep blabbin' at me like that, and I won't be able to concentrate on much of anything."  
  
The testing center is alive with activity. Various technicians run from terminal to terminal, frantically tying to keep everything running smoothly. Dr. Stockton and Sub-Commander Annabelle Oliver are sitting next to the LCL tank. Inside the tank is a single entry plug, and inside that is Lance.  
  
Sub-Commander Oliver looks at her watch. "Doctor, if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Everything looks to be moving according to schedule here."  
  
Dr. Stockton doesn't look up from his terminal screen, simple nodding to indicate he heard what she said. Sub-Commander Oliver turns and walks out of the room, down the hall, and toward the lift.  
  
"Sub-Commander Oliver. Sub-Commander Oliver. Please, Sub-Commander, I have to speak with you."  
  
Turning, Anna can see one of the technicians running up. "What is it..."  
  
"Oh, Lt. 2nd Class Greer, ma'am." The young man salutes.  
  
"...Lt. Greer. You said you had to speak with me. It had better be important. There are many things I have to do."  
  
"Yes ma'am." He fumbles with his clipboard, loaded with papers. "Let me see. I know I had it here somewhere. Statistical analysis. Synch ratio graphs. Oh, my shopping list. I was wondering where that went. Ah, here it is." he holds out a computer printout.  
  
She extends her a hand to take the sheet of paper. "And what is this?"  
  
"That's a printout of the last three months worth of security data. We had a small computer error last week, and I was assigned to look through all of the data to see if I could find the glitch. I came across this." he points to a section, circled in red pen. "That says that a couple months ago, Commander Young accessed the system. But, if you look here, you will see that he nearly had security called on him for not knowing the correct password."  
  
"Why is any of this important? Mistakes typing in passwords are not unheard of, even for the Commander."  
  
"Exactly. Except, if you look at this," he produces another sheet of paper, "you will see that, according to the time logs, Commander Young had left three hours prior to this. He wasn't even here when he supposedly accessed the system."  
  
Sub-commander Oliver's eyebrows raise in surprise. "Now, that is interesting. I want you to investigate this. Find out what happened and report directly to me with your findings. I would recommend you keep this investigation hush-hush."  
  
The technician nods and runs off. Around the corner, Lt. Adam Turner stops listening to the conversation and makes his way toward one of the labs.  
  
*****  
  
Later that night, in the spartan living space provided by NERV-02, Lance is making the finishing touches on his dinner. He grins and sets the food aside and move off to set the table. After straightening and re-straightening the silverware. he glances around the room.  
  
~Nothing out of place. All tidied up and clean. Everything looks good.~  
  
His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the door buzzer. He runs to the door, checking himself in the mirror along the way. He is clean-shaven, as usual, and wearing his nicest pair of jeans with a new shirt he bought just for tonight. His hair is immaculate. He stops in front of the door and composes himself. With the press of a button, the automatic door opens, revealing the silhouette of Angel. she is likewise dressed in her finest clothes.  
  
"Hi. I'm not late, am I?" she asks coyly.  
  
"Naw. Yer here just in time. I just finished preparin' dinner."  
  
"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?"  
  
He blushes. "Oh, right. Come on in and make yourself comfortable."  
  
She steps through the open doorway, the door closing with a mechanical sound behind her. She looks around his apartment. "You cleaned up, for me? That's so sweet of you."  
  
She turns toward him and gives him a hug and peck on the cheek, to which he simply blushes. As she pulls away, she looks him over and confusion passes over her face.  
  
"Lance, you aren't wearing your hat. Did you lose it or something?"  
  
"Lose ol' Betsy? Heck, no. I just thought that this is sort of a special dinner and all, I should try to look presentable. So, I ain't gonna wear her tonight."  
  
Angel smiles brightly. "You don't know how much that means to me. I know how you are about your hat. That you would actually choose not to wear it tonight..." Her eyes begin to tear up. "It's just so...romantic."  
  
"Aw, it wasn't nothing special. Just good manners. Now, c'mon, you sit down and let me get dinner served up."  
  
He pulls a chair out from the table for her, pushing it in once she is seated. He moves into the small kitchenette area. After a few moments, punctuated with the occasional crash or muttered curse, he emerges with two plates. He places one in front of Angel, and the other opposite her, where he takes his seat.  
  
"I hope you like it. It's an old Murphy family recipe. Steak and potatoes."  
  
"It sounds delicious."  
  
With that, they begin eating. The food is as good as it looks, and the dinner conversation flows smoothly.  
  
The rest of the night goes similarly well.  
  
THREE MONTHS LATER  
  
The harsh desert sun is shining down on the test field. Across the long expanse of concrete, Lance can see the large, silver monstrosity that is he Eva Unit. He strides with confidence toward the restraining cage. ~I never did understand why they call it that. What's to be restrained? Damned thing don't move without me inside~ he thinks.  
  
At the base of the structure, he mounts the electric lift and ascends toward the entry plug. At the entrance to the plug, a young technician, one he has never seen before, stops him.  
  
"You...you can't wear that inside the plug." he says, pointing toward lance's hat.  
  
Lance simply shakes his head. "Ain't no way I'm going nowhere without this. It's my lucky hat you know." With that, he slips past the taller young man and into the plug, smiling as he closes the hatch. When he reaches the familiar seat at the front, he radios back to headquarters. "All set. Let's test this baby out."  
  
He can feel the tube move a bit, indicating the insertion into his Eva. His console lights up, and the controls hum to life. A few moments later, the LCL ports open and begin to fill the tube with the familiar coppery smelling fluid.  
  
The voice of Angel can be heard over his radio. "Ok Lance, we're releasing the restraints."  
  
There is a slight jolt as the final locks are released and the Eva lands upon its feet, no longer supported by anything save its own power. Lance cracks his knuckles and orders the Eva to take a step forward.  
  
Nothing happens.  
  
He tries again, and still there is no response.  
  
"Come on you piece of junk." he screams as he kicks the controls.  
  
The Eva takes a step.  
  
"That's more like it, girl."  
  
Now that he has managed to get the thing moving, Lance has no trouble controlling it. He warily takes a few more steps to get used to the way the Unit moves before really taking full control of it.  
  
Over the radio comes another message. "Releasing umbilical cable. This is where the real testing comes in, Lance."  
  
Almost immediately after receiving the message, he can feel the sensation of something detaching from his back. For a moment, everything flickers red and the timer for his battery reserve begins to flash. Seconds later, however, the warning lights turn off and everything returns to normal.  
  
"Well, I'll be damned...it's working. Let's show them what we can do now Unit-04."  
  
He breaks into a run, sprinting around the test site. Dodging around buildings and hurtling the smaller obstacles presented, he can feel every movement. It is almost as if he WAS the Eva, or the Eva was him. He pulls the rifle from his Eva Unit's shoulder and begins dashing around the site, shooting the targets that are presented.  
  
Then the warning lights come back on and the Eva stops moving. Lance looks around the cockpit. "Funny, the timer ain't runnin'. What's goin' on?"  
  
The temperature inside the entry plug is becoming noticeably warmer. This doesn't initially bother him; until the LCL begins to bubble, then boil.  
  
He only has enough time to let out one brief scream of pain before there is a bright flash of white light.  
  
Then, there is only darkness.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	2. Episode 02: Genesis

Evangelion - Exodus  
  
Episode Two: Genesis  
  
By Jonathan Jordan  
  
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.  
  
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It's dark.  
  
And cold.  
  
I can't see anything.  
  
Are my eyes even open?  
  
I can't tell.  
  
I think so...  
  
or not.  
  
I...  
  
I...  
  
I can't move!  
  
Oh god.  
  
Am I dead?  
  
I can't move.  
  
I try to scream, but no sound comes out.  
  
I can't even feel my body.  
  
What is going on?  
  
Light.  
  
There, in front of me.  
  
It's a light.  
  
If I could just move.  
  
I have to reach the light.  
  
Have to..  
  
reach..  
  
light...  
  
A BARREN CRATER SOMEWHERE IN THE NEVADA DESERT  
  
As is common at this time of year, it is hot. The heat is so strong, even the very ground seems to be radiating it. Even the gentle breeze, kicking up dust devils as it blows through, does nothing to alter this fact. The occasional lizard scampers across the ground in search of the perfect rock.  
  
There is an eerie silence to the scene. Even here, in the proverbial middle of nowhere, the occasional sound is to be expected. Yet, there is nothing. Just silence, as the breeze dies down and what little activity there was grinds to a halt. Everything seems to have pause in expectation.  
  
Something is going to happen, and the desert is ready.  
  
The perfect stillness and silence is broken by the abrupt appearance of what seems to be a large military facility that fills the crater that was once there.  
  
Inside the facility is a scene of pure chaos. Technicians are running back and forth, comparing print outs and entering new data into the programs. There is a palpable feeling of fear as the senior technicians monitor their computer terminals.  
  
Dr. Stockton grasps the cross around his neck and mutters a small prayer. "Oh my god, the S2 engine. It's...it's..."  
  
"Powering down. The S2 engine has gone offline." reports Lt. Turner.  
  
Lt. Evans looks at her terminal and calls out. "Synch ratio leveling...no, rising. 50%. 65. 78. 94. 100%"  
  
One of the technicians looks toward the three senior technicians. "What happened? Shouldn't we be dead or something?"  
  
Dr. Stockton continues to hold his cross as he answers.  
  
"I don't know, but we need to contact Commander Young immediately."  
  
*****  
  
Lance screams out in agony as the LCL boils around him. The plug suit has served to increase his sensitivity, causing the pain to be enhanced tenfold. Every one of his nerve endings feels like it is on fire. He floats from his seat at the cockpit and writhes in the scalding liquid.  
  
Then, just as quick as it began, the heat and pain recede into nothingness. He floats throughout the entry plug, unable to move from the memory of the pain. The cooling LCL, which just moments ago was set to burn his flesh off, now serves to soothe the pain. He allows the relief to wash over him before he returns to the cockpit.  
  
A few moments later, the radio crackles to life. "Pilot Murphy! Pilot Murphy, come in....Lance, talk to me."  
  
He turns on his transmitter. "I'm here...I think. What happened, Angel?"  
  
"We aren't really sure. We are gathering the data now." Dr. Stockton's voice comes over the receiver. "Return to the base, Lance. The testing is over until we can determine what went wrong."  
  
"Ok, I'm on my way." he radios back, muttering under his breath after turning the radio off "Dammit. Just when I was startin' to have fun."  
  
*****  
  
"What does this mean, Charles?" asks Commander Young, looking up from the report in front of him.  
  
Dr. Stockton is caught off guard by the use of his first name, rather than being referred to by his rank. He stammers for a moment before responding. "We...we...we don't really know, sir."  
  
"Well, what do we know then?"  
  
"From what we can gather, the S2 engine malfunctioned. It overheated, from what we can tell. Lance...Pilot Murphy tells us that the temperature inside the entry plug rose dramatically. An examination of the inside of the plug does indicate extreme heat. We think that this is the explanation for the drop in synch ratio we noted. At this point, there was a dramatic increase in energy production from the S2 engine. Then, there was nothing. All warnings simply stopped, the S2 engine went offline, and synch ratios returned to normal. We immediately radioed Unit-04 to determine if the pilot was unharmed, then compiled this report for you."  
  
The commander just sits there, silently taking in this information. When he does finally speak, shattering the oppressive silence in the room, his voice almost sounds too loud. "Very well. I want a full report by 0900 tomorrow. We need to contact NERV Central with this. Commander Ikari will want to be informed."  
  
The senior technician nods silently and leaves the room. Commander Young does not move for a very long time. When he finally does, it is to press a button hidden on the side of his desk. The surface of his desk lights up, revealing a screen showing the feeds from every security camera. His gaze flashes from one feed to another and he grins.  
  
*****  
  
In the locker room, Lance is still shaking from the experience. He peels his plug suit off carefully. The areas of his skin where there were metal plugs on the suit are burned and have begun to blister up. Lance grits his teeth as he pulls the suit down away from these spots. When he has finally managed to remove the suit, he makes his way toward the shower.  
  
The water is turned all the way up, and as cold as it can get. Lance's teeth are chattering and his lips are starting to turn blue, but he remains under the frigid jet of water.  
  
"LANCE MURPHY! You get out of that shower now before you give yourself hypothermia, or something."  
  
He jumps at the voice and turns to face the speaker. "Dammit, Angela, I've told ya not to sneak up on me like that. And what in the heck are you doing in here, anyhow? You know you ain't supposed to be here."  
  
She gives him a sly smile. "Where is it written that a girl can't see her boyfriend after work?"  
  
"I've got no problem with seeing you. It's just that it's not right to have a girl in the men's shower. Ain't proper."  
  
"Proper? You should know by now that I am not a proper sort of girl. Now, get out of that shower, or I'm coming in to get you myself."  
  
He is shivering now, the blueness spreading to his fingers, toes, and other extremities. He sets his jaw and shakes his head. "Ain't coming out. Not until I am done with my shower, and definitely not while you are here."  
  
"Oh please, Lance. It isn't like I haven't seen you naked before. You don't need to be shy."  
  
"That's different. There's a time and place for everythin'. This ain't the right time for...that."  
  
She smirks. "Oh really?"  
  
Quirking one eyebrow, she advances on him. As she walks toward the shower, she slowly unzips her uniform jacket and removes it. She continues forward, shedding her clothes with every step she takes. Lance, for his part, is stunned into inaction by her bold actions. She stands in front of him, the cold water streaming down over both of their nude bodies. Placing her arms around him and smiling, she asks.  
  
"Still think this isn't the right time and place?"  
  
He doesn't say a word, choosing the answer non-verbally.  
  
NERV CENTRAL COMMAND; 2300 HOURS  
  
The Commander stalks angrily down the halls of NERV Central Command. He fastens the last button on his hastily donned uniform as he makes his way to the Operations Center. His hair is a mess, and there are dark bags beneath his eyes. As he enters the Operations Center, the technicians there all cower before his wrath.  
  
"This had better be important, Akiyama."  
  
"It is sir. We just received a transmission from our American branch." the young woman responds.  
  
"That is not urgent. We receive frequent transmissions from Massachusetts."  
  
"This wasn't from Massachusetts, Commander. It was from Nevada."  
  
At this, the tired man pauses and looks at the technician for a very long time. "What do you mean, it is from Nevada? The Nevada branch was destroyed last year, during the S2 testing."  
  
"I know that sir, but the transmission does appear to originate from the location NERV-02 was at. All the proper security protocols are in effect. Either they really are who they say they are, or this is one hell of an elaborate hoax."  
  
"Very well, I will take the message in my office." He turns to leave, but is stopped at the door by Lt. Akiyama.  
  
"Uh, sir. There is something else."  
  
He turns back, the fatigue showing through his stern exterior. "What is it now?"  
  
"Well, sir, they did not send the message to you. It was addressed to Gendo Ikari."  
  
At this revelation, the Commander of NERV looks genuinely surprised. "Ikari? So, they don't know...what happened?"  
  
Makoto Akiyama simply shakes her head. "I don't know, Commander Fuyutski."  
  
*****  
  
Later, in the dark office of Commander Kozo Fuyutski, the Commander sits at his desk and reads the message. He frowns slightly. He reads and rereads the missive, trying to glean some semblance of understanding from it. Each time he reaches the end of the message, he finds himself just as at a loss as the time before.  
  
"How could they have survived? Where have they been all this time? What is going on here?"  
  
The shadows of his office provide no answers.  
  
NERV-02; 1100 HOURS  
  
"Sir, we have an incoming transmission from NERV. It's a live broadcast."  
  
The wall view screen flashes to life, the image of Kozo Fuyutski filling the screen. "Commander Young, this is Commander Fuyutski at NERV Central. I have received and reviewed your report. It raises some questions, which I feel would be best addressed here in Tokyo-3. An aerial transport unit has been dispatched to bring the Experimental Eva Unit-04 to Japan. You are to have the Eva ready for transportation, as well as the pilot and a small group of support staff."  
  
Commander Young nods in acknowledgement. "You will excuse my asking, but why has Commander Ikari requested you to send the message, rather than ordering us himself?"  
  
"Gendo Ikari is no longer the head of NERV. I am the Supreme Commander now." Fuyutski said without a trace of emotion behind his voice. With this final statement, he ends the transmission.  
  
*****  
  
Lance Murphy's living quarters look as they always do. While the place is technically "clean," it is not free of clutter. There are piles of clothes strewn about, all clean. There are unorganized piles of magazines here and there. On the table is a rather large stack of mail, some of it dating all the way back to his first week at the facility.  
  
"Lance Murphy, I swear, I don't know how you manage to accumulate all of this...this...mess. It hasn't even been a week since you last had me over. It was clean then."  
  
Lance blushes, looks at his feet, and scratches the back of his neck. "Aw, c'mon Angel. It ain't that bad."  
  
Angela smiles at this. "How do you find anything in this mess, anyhow?"  
  
"That ain't a problem. I have it all organized. I know where everything is. Never have trouble findin' what I need, when I need it."  
  
"Oh really?" She raises an eyebrow at him and challenges "Ok, I'll bet you a home cooked meal that you can't find....oh...let's say the January 2015 issue of Rolling Stone magazine."  
  
"Aw hell, that's an easy one. That's right here..." He points to a pail of magazines, riffles down six magazines from the bottom and pulls one out. Surely enough, it is the January 2015 issue of Rolling Stone.  
  
Angela looks impressed. "Well, I guess I owe you a meal. Any requests?"  
  
"Yeah, that you let me cook it."  
  
She laughs and moves to straddle his legs, facing him. She takes his hat off and places it on her own head. "Lance Murphy, you are one in a million"  
  
*****  
  
The halls of the lower levels of the base have been abandoned as more and more of the operations have been consolidated into the Operations Center. As such, they make the perfect place to conduct more unscrupulous activities. Things like hacking the NERV-02 computers for sensitive information, or altering the programs of the main computer system to malfunction, or monitoring the activities of your superiors.  
  
This is why Adam likes it here.  
  
It is also the ideal place to perform a covert investigation of the personnel working at the base.  
  
This is why Lt. 2nd Class Harold Greer is here tonight. He is pouring over his notes for the third time tonight. After weeks and weeks of investigating, tracing the mysterious computer user's movements throughout the system and ascertaining what it was the person wanted, he thinks he has finally found out who is the thief.  
  
"No, it can't be. I must be wrong." he mutters to himself as he looks over his findings one more time. "Adam wouldn't..."  
  
"Adam wouldn't what?" come a voice from the open door behind him. With a start, he turns to see who is addressing him. A look of dread crosses his face as Adam Turner steps into the room. "What wouldn't I do?"  
  
"N-n-nothing. I was just...um..."  
  
Adam smirks at the young man. "Oh, I'm sure it was something. I distinctly heard my name mentioned. Would it have anything to do with this?" He steps around the terrified man to look at the computer screen. Lt. Greer looks on in horror, his fear paralyzing him.  
  
"Lt. Turner, sir, what are you doing down here anyhow? This level has been pretty much abandoned."  
  
Adam looks up, his face calm. "Hmm? Oh, I was just wandering the halls, you know. Looking for old computer terminals to use to steal more NERV secrets."  
  
Harold looks shocked. "Y-y-you admit that you have been hacking into the computers?"  
  
"Why not? Nobody is going to find out."  
  
The junior technician looks confused for a moment, before the full meaning of this dawns on him. "You know that if you kill me, they will investigate."  
  
With a wicked grin, Adam advances. "I don't think there will be. You see, I have 'evidence' that you were the one behind the whole thing. Selling information to outside sources, and trying to pin the blame on the senior technician whose position you wanted. How despicable of you." He laughs and lunges for the young man.  
  
Lt. Greer scrambles to get away. He bounces off of the doorframe as he runs out and down the hall. He nearly reaches the lift when something strikes the back of his head, knocking him to the floor. He looks up and back down the hall, his vision blurry and blood trickling down the side of his head. Adam casually walks down the hall, holding a second piece of old machinery from the room.  
  
"Tsk, tsk. No running now. We can't have you leave yet. The party is just getting started."  
  
Harold tries to get to his feet and make it to the life. He knows that if he can just make it to the lift, he can radio for help. The security forces will be able to capture Lt. Turner. If he can just make it a little further...  
  
He falls to the floor again as the world seems to tilt and turn on him. He looks back once more, and sees Adam's shoes right in front of his face. He flinches slightly just before one of the feet in front of him moves back, then kicks him in the stomach. Coughing up blood, he groans "Why? Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Why am I doing this" the senior technician responds, kneeling down. He grabs a handful of the other man's hair, pulling him up to eye level. His grin has become a disturbing mixture of malice and joy. "I am doing this, because I can."  
  
Harold struggles against the grip of the psychotic man holding him, but his head wound has made him dizzy. He frantically flails his arms around in an attempt to do something, anything, to get away. He manages no more than a few glancing hits and one scratch across the face. Adam screams in pain and throws Harold to the floor. Lt. Greer's head hits with a dull thud.  
  
"That hurt you little prick. I'm done playing now. Time to end this."  
  
He plants a few more kicks on the prone man on the floor. Standing over the young man, he sits heavily on the technician's chest. He once again lifts Harold's head off the ground and places one thumb over each eye. Letting out a grunt of effort, he exerts pressure on the man's eyes, digging his thumbs into the sockets. This elicits the expected cries for mercy, and the even more expected denial of such.  
  
With an audible pop, Lt. 2nd Class Harold Greer's eyes exit his head, followed by a good deal of blood. Adam drops his head to the floor once more. This time, the impact is not a thud so much as a sickeningly squishy crack.  
  
Lt. Adam Turner stands and takes one final kick. For good measure, he stomps on the fallen man's head, releasing a spray of blood and more solid matter. Then, he wipes his hands and shoes on the dead man's shirt. He begins whistling the end of "Bohemian Rhapsody" as he casually enters the lift and makes his way to the surface, the lights shutting off one by one behind him.  
  
*****  
  
The NERV-02 cafeteria is unusually void of all signs of life, save the two figures sitting at a table against the wall. Dr. Charles Stockton and Sub-Commander Annabelle Oliver are drinking coffee in the empty room. They are sitting close to each other, discussing the current situation.  
  
"I can't imagine what would cause Gendo Ikari to just give up command. You have met the man, right Anna?"  
  
The sub-commander nods, her dark hair (with just a hint of gray sneaking in) bobbing. "Yes, once. Right after I started working here. He came to inspect the site. I don't see the man as being someone to give up on anything easily."  
  
"Exactly. Ikari is a control freak. He would never give up command, even to Fuyutski. Not unless he was dead, or planning something. I have a feeling he isn't dead, either."  
  
The woman nods. "So, what could he be planning that would require him to leave NERV?"  
  
"That, my dear, is the million dollar question."  
  
*****  
  
The subterranean hangar where Unit-04 is kept is dark. All of the floodlights used to light the room are off, save one. The single light shines down upon the experimental Eva Unit, illuminating it in a halo of light. Lance is sitting against the railing opposite the silver machine, in his characteristic t-shirt, jeans, and hat. He looks up at the automaton and sighs.  
  
"Well, girl, it looks like we're headin' off to Japan in a few days. I ain't too sure how I feel about that. I mean, goin' to another country'd be great and all, but I'd rather go someplace I speak the language. You know, like England or Canada or somethin'. Still, Japan would be nice."  
  
He stops and sighs heavily. "I just don't know why they want me to go. They need you, that's a given. But, I ain't done anything worth anything. Yeah, I piloted you once 'r twice. But, I was also the one who was in you when the...um...accident happened." He stops again and shudders at the memory.  
  
"I shouldn't be the one to go. I dunno what happened out there yesterday, but it was probably my fault. I screwed up, and nearly got myself killed. Hell, for all I know, I could have killed all of us. I...just can't handle that kind of pressure. I don't wanna be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people. Especially if it they're people I care 'bout."  
  
"And, I do care about everyone here. Dr. Stockton has been awful nice to me. He's the one who first welcomed me here, and made me feel like I belonged. He made me feel at home. I really respect that man. The Commander and Sub-Commander seem nice too, though I haven't ever really talked to them. They're so busy all the time."  
  
"Angela...Angel. Ah, she's a wildflower. I'm lucky to have a girl like that, you know. It may surprise you, but I didn't think I had a chance with her. She's so smart, and so pretty. I was sure she was out of my league. But, she came after me. I love her. I don't know if I am IN love with her, but I do love her."  
  
"Lt. Turner has been a real nice guy too. He's been the closest thing to a friend I have here. He's always offering to go out to the bar or club with me. We are a lot alike, I think. I'm glad I got to know him."  
  
"Ya see, though, that's why I don't think I should pilot you anymore. What if it happens again? What if, next time, it doesn't end up so good. What if someone dies? I don't know what I would do if that happened. I don't want to have to think about it."  
  
"Frankly, girl, I'm scared. I'm being sent to a new place, to meet new people, who speak a language I don't know. All so I can pilot an experimental weapon of destruction...no offense intended, of course. I just don't think I am up for any of this."  
  
"Not like I have a choice, though. You never really have a chose with these big decisions, do you?"  
  
With another sigh, Lance stands up and walks toward the Eva. He reaches out and gently strokes its face, then slowly turns toward the exit and makes his way out. The single light of the room stays on, shining down upon Unit-04. The way the light hits its shiny metal contours, it almost appears as if the Eva unit is crying.  
  
NERV CENTRAL HEADQUARTERS; TOKYO-3  
  
Throughout the NERV facility in Tokyo-3 video screens are turning on, or switching over from their normal function. Around the city, loud speakers crackle to life. Commander Fuyutski appears on the screens, where visible. His voice rings out.  
  
"This is an announcement to all Citizens of Tokyo-3. UN Forces, under command of NERV, will be entering the city of Tokyo-3 on the 22nd at 1400 hours to deliver an experimental Evangelion Unit. Due to the volatile nature of the delivery, NERV advises all private citizens to remain in their houses to avoid any unfortunate accidents. Once the Unit has been delivered and properly secured, an All Clear announcement will be broadcast to indicate it is once again safe to leave your residence. NERV thanks you for your cooperation."  
  
In the pilots' locker room at NERV, the two teenagers pause and look at each other. Both were in the process of packing their plug suits away. The taller of the two, a boy of American descent, blinks a couple of times.  
  
"Did he just say what I think he said?"  
  
"I don't know, Nicholas. I never know what you are thinking." responds the much shorter Japanese girl dryly.  
  
The boy rolls his eyes. "Weren't you listening to the announcement? It sounds like there is a new Eva Unit being brought in."  
  
"That is exactly what Commander Fuyutski said."  
  
"Yeah, but he also said it was coming in from America. I know that can't be right, because someone at NERV-05 would have told me. So, it must be coming from Germany or China."  
  
"It could be from NERV-04 in Matsushiro, too."  
  
"Exactly! You see my point, then. If his information was wrong with that part, he could have been wrong about the whole thing. Or lying."  
  
"Commander Fuyutski is not the same man Commander Ikari was. He would not lie about this."  
  
Nicholas's face grows serious for the first time, rather than the smile he has been wearing throughout the exchange. "Yumiko, you are impossible to talk to sometimes." He roughly grabs his bag up and storms out of the room. The young girl cracks a small smile at this.  
  
"Stupid American. He makes it too easy."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	3. Episode 03: Battle in the Heavens

Evangelion - Exodus  
  
Episode Three: Battle in The Heavens  
  
By Jonathan Jordan  
  
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Lance Murphy, some of The Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.  
  
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NERV-02; MARCH 21; 1800 HOURS (NERV CENTRAL TIME)/0400 HOURS (LOCAL TIME)  
  
The desert is cool with The morning air. The sun is just beginning to peek over The edge of The horizon. Out beyond The edges of The NERV-02 facility, The desert is teeming with life. The wildlife has taken The opportunity provided by The drop in temperature to come out. On base, There is a similar level of activity. Much more than would normally be expected at this time of The morning.  
  
Gathered around a large aerial transport is a bustling group of people. Within The larger, inner cluster of bodies, Angela Evans and Charles Stockton are performing a few last minute diagnostic tests.  
  
"Everything seems to check out, Dr. Stockton."  
  
"Wonderful. Oversee The loading for me. I have other business To attend to."  
  
"Yes, sir." she says with a salute.  
  
Off on The fringes of The crowd, Lance sort of floats. Not really sure what to do or where to go, he merely stands There and looks confused. He glances toward The main base as The oversized double doors crawl open with The loud scream of metal on metal. From within The darkness recesses of The compound, a large ground transport drives out. Loaded to The back of The truck is a gigantic metal box. Lance knows what is inside The box.  
  
As The vehicle lumbers past, he watches with a mixture of pride and trepidation. ~I'm going to Japan. To pilot an Evangelion. This should be a happy event. So, why am I feeling like a cow on The way to meat packing plant?~  
  
With a sigh, he follows The transport toward his ride to Japan. Along The way, he walks past Dr. Stockton. The two men cordially nod to each other as they pass. As Lance approaches The aerial transport, Angela spots him and waves in enthusiastically.  
  
"Lance, can you believe it? We are actually going There. The main NERV headquarters. This is such a huge thing. I wonder What The Pilots are like. Do you think I will get a chance to examine The other Eva Units? That would be The highlight of my career."  
  
He shrugs noncommitally. "Hell, I dunno Angel. I ain't never been over There before. Technically, I'm not even an employee of NERV. I'm just some random guy, got pulled off The street to play with a big-ass robot."  
  
"Now, you know that isn't true Lance. You were picked became you were The most qualified person. If you weren't right for The job, you wouldn't heave been allowed inside The Eva in The first place."  
  
She steps closer to him. "Trust me, dear, you are The best man for The job." She takes his hand and gives it a loving squeeze.  
  
He gives her a weak smile. "I guess yer right. I'm just a little stressed, I suppose. I ain't never been outside The country before. Well, 'cept a couple trips to Mexico. But that ain't The same."  
  
"You have nothing to worry about. You have amazing synch ratios for what little training you have been given. Plus, who couldn't love you."  
  
He chuckles and gives her a kiss. "Yeah, I guess you got a point There."  
  
Inside, however, he doesn't feel so sure.  
  
*****  
  
The testing lab is looking very empty at The moment. With The majority of The materials at The facility serving only to further testing of Unit-04, and The imminent departure of said Eva, much to The lab equipment has been packed away. Dr. Stockton looks around The empty lab with a wistful sigh.  
  
"So, this is it, then? All of our work has come to this."  
  
He walks around The lab, absent-mindedly touching The spots where There once stood a row of computers, or some piece of equipment. Now, all that remains is The dust outline indicating The size and shape of The missing pieces.  
  
With a hint of bitterness in his voice. "They're taking her from me. All of this work, and I don't even get to see how it all turns out. Thank you Commander Ikar...I mean, Commander Fuyutski."  
  
On his way out, he notices a flashing window on his computer terminal, one of The few remaining in The lab. With a look of mild confusion, he seats himself at The machine and clicks open The message.  
  
TO: DR. CHARLES STOCKTON  
  
FROM: LT. 2ND CLASS HAROLD GREER  
  
RE: INVESTIGATION  
  
MESSAGE: DR. STOCKTON, INVESTIGATION NEAR COMPLETION. I THINK I HAVE DISCOVERED OUR LEAK. DOUBLE CHECKING FACTS. WILL REPORT IN WITH FURTHER RESULTS IN TWO DAYS TIME.  
  
MESSAGE DATE: 03-18-16  
  
Dr. Stockton reads The message a second time. He looks at The date on The message, then The calendar at his side. "Two days? Greer, where's The report?"  
  
He stops and thinks on The situation a bit harder. "Come to think of it, where are you in general? You haven't been in to The lab for days. Where are you?"  
  
With a few key strokes, The senior technician tracks The message through The system. Glancing at The routers The message has been sent through, as well as tracing The path through filters and firewalls, he eventually finds The computer of The message's origin. "That can't be right. The terminals on that level haven't been active for well over a year. What would he have been doing down There?"  
  
He sits and ponders this for a moment. "Maybe he was using The older machines to keep his activities private. It would make sense. So, what happened to him. Why wouldn't he have checked in by now?" He thinks for a moment longer. "I suppose I should go down There and see if There is any sign of where he may have gone. Or even The report he never filed."  
  
He saves The message and logs out of The machine, then heads off toward The nearest lift. Nodding to The occasional other NERV employee as he passes, Dr. Stockton continues to dwell on The strange lack of communication from Lt. Greer.  
  
The ride down to The abandoned sub-level is short and uneventful. The doors slide open and Dr. Stockton waits inside The lift for The lights to turn on. Almost immediately, he is hit by The smell. A very coppery and bitter one, it causes his nose to twitch. He also can't help but notice The unusual level of noise, a strange buzzing. When The lights reach far enough down The corridor, he can see The source of both smell and sound.  
  
Along one of The walls, no more than 10 feet from The door to The lift, he sees The body of what once was a NERV employee. The body itself is relatively untouched, a bruise visible here and There where The clothing has been ripped or fallen open. The real trauma is in The area of The head. Or, more appropriately, where The head should have been. In its place is nothing more than a crusted and scabbed over puddle of goo. Brain mixed with skull fragments and vitreous fluids and blood. There are flies clouding around The body, and The occasional beetle can be seen here and There.  
  
Dr. Stockton cannot help but gasp at The sight. The sheer level of violence required to do this to a person is mind boggling. "Who...would do something like this?" he asks out loud as he walks toward The body. He bends down to check The ID card on The corpse's uniform, fearing what he knows he will find.  
  
The ID reads "Lt. 2nd Class Harold Greer."  
  
"Oh Harold. What happened? How...who did this?"  
  
The dead man does not have any answers.   
  
*****  
  
The office is well lit, as usual. Commander Young and Sub-commander Oliver are sitting across from each other at The desk. They have a number of sheets of paper laid out in front of them and seem to be comparing reports. The commander does not look like he is happy.  
  
"What we have here, Annabelle, is a problem."  
  
"Commander...Charles, are we sure this is what it appears to be?"  
  
The older man sighs. "I'm afraid that it couldn't be anything else. We have a leak, Sub-commander Oliver. Someone is providing secret information to The outside."  
  
"But, who? Everybody here has gone through such extreme security measures. The probability of anyone being a traitor is practically impossible."  
  
"Apparently, practically impossible wasn't good enough. Just look at The information we have gathered here."  
  
He pulls out a sheaf of papers. Handing them over, he points at The passage he is referring to. "Here, doesn't this sound uncomfortably familiar?"  
  
She takes The papers from him, scanning The highlighted text. As she reads, her eyes widen with The shock. She stammers. "This can't be. You are sure this isn't one of our own reports?"  
  
The commander shakes his head.  
  
"But, that just cannot be. This is almost exactly..."  
  
"Project 11-6357" he nods.  
  
"What are we going to do about this, sir?"  
  
"I'm not sure. We have to insure this information does not continue to be leaked. We also have to take measures to sabotage these projects using our stolen information. That will pose much less of a problem than The former."  
  
The sub-commander nods her agreement. "Does this mean you will be needing me to stay behind, sir?"  
  
"No, no. I think it would be best if we keep everything as scheduled. If we do have a leak, we do not want to tip him or her off be changing The plan. You go to Japan with Unit-04 and serve as my liaison. If I need any FURTHER assistance, I will contact you."  
  
"Yes, sir." With no FURTHER conversation, She packs up her papers and makes her way down to The airfield.  
  
*****  
  
About 50 miles off base is a highway. The road itself is rarely used, mostly serving as a route for truckers to use on their cross-country trips. On this highway, at a point near The juncture where it meets up with an old back road (one which leave into The desert and right to The gates of NERV-02), There is a small truck stop and diner.  
  
Truckers have been using this diner for years, stopping in to refuel their trucks and themselves. The harsh desert wind has sanded The exterior down to a pockmarked shell of a building, virtually unable to keep a paint job. Years of truck exhaust, dirty boots, and greasy burgers have left a thick layer of filth on every surface of The interior.  
  
Scattered around The diner tonight are The usual fare of customers. A couple of truckers here, a biker There, even The small family on some grand adventure across The nation. Near The door, a man in a large black trenchcoat sips his coffee idly and watches The door. He waves over The young man who enters, also wearing a concealing coat.  
  
"Mr. Turner, so good to see you again."  
  
"Likewise Mr. Smythe." The new man replies, flagging down a waitress. "Coffee, cream and sugar, please."  
  
The waitress nods and makes her way back behind The counter to fetch him a cup. The young man sits at The table, opposite his companion. He doesn't remove his coat, but as he sits it opens slightly, showing a flash of The standard NERV uniform. The other man, looking as if he has lived a life of hardship, nods to him. Neither of The men speak until The waitress has returned with The coffee, and moved away to check on her other customers.  
  
Finally, The older man speaks. "So, do you have The item, as agreed?"  
  
"I have brought it, as agreed. What about your end of The deal?"  
  
"Right here, Mr. Turner." he responds, patting The briefcase at his side.  
  
The young man smiles and reaches into his coat pocket, pulling out a cd case. He places it on The table in front of him, keeping his hand on it. The other man places his briefcase on The table and likewise keeps a protective hand on it. They both look at each other with distrust in their eyes. Finally, The younger man speaks.  
  
"I guess we will have to deal with this trust issue. If you will pull out your computer, I can show you that this is indeed what I claim it is. You need only show me The contents of your case."  
  
Wordlessly, The other man uses his free hand to pull out The laptop computer he has with him, inserting The disk into The drive and scanning The information contained on it. With a nod of approval, he opens The case at his side, revealing The perfect rows of perfect bundles of money. "Examine it. It's all There, and as we agreed."  
  
There younger man pulls out a stack of bills and shuffles through it, making sure There are no fake, marked, or otherwise unwanted bills.  
  
"Well, it looks as if this deal has reached its conclusion. If There is nothing else I will be on my way. It has been a pleasure doing business with you."  
  
The older man slides The case over and shuts his computer down. "Yes, a pleasure. I assume you will be in touch if There is anything FURTHER."  
  
Not even waiting for a reply, he packs his things away, tosses a bit of change on The table, and makes his way out. The other man simply smiles as The first leaves.  
  
"After tonight, I think you will have more pressing concerns than what sort of information I can provide for you."  
  
He pulls a bill from one of The bundles in The briefcase and tosses it on The table and leaves for The NERV-02 base once more. When The waitress walks by to clear The table, She sees The money and quickly pockets The $20 bill left for her. She turns it over and sees that There is writing on it.  
  
ADAM TURNER 555-6357  
  
*****  
  
The landing strip is still bustling with activity. Last minute preparation for The impending flight are being made. The crew of The transport are running their final tests and checking their instruments. Inside The plane, The technicians are securing their equipment. Lance is sitting alone, watching Angela complete her work. Through The entry hatch, Sub-commander Oliver enters and walks toward Lance.  
  
Smiling, she takes a seat next to him. "You don't look very happy."  
  
"It's not that I ain't happy. Just, nervous. Never been to Japan before. I don't know how I'm gonna get along."  
  
"I'm sure you will be fine, Lance. We are working on setting up someone to tutor you in The language and culture. I bet that you will be completely acclimated in a week or two."  
  
"I hope yer right, Commander Oliver. I really do."  
  
Angela finishes her work and joins The pair. She smiles at her boyfriend and The Sub-commander. "We're all set. Captain says we will be taking off in a minute."  
  
Almost as soon as she says This, The cargo door in The back of The transport closes. The engines roar to life and The plane shudders down The runway. Outside, The engines kick up a cloud of sand and dust, causing anything under 5 pounds in weight to be thrown back.  
  
With one final lurch, The transport is airborne and on The way toward Japan.  
  
SOMEWHERE OVER The PACIFIC OCEAN; 0600 HOURS (NERV CENTRAL TIME)  
  
The sky is empty, save for a few scattered clouds. Far below, The ocean sparkles a deep blue. The wind is blowing lightly, or at least lightly for The altitude. Something darts from cloud to cloud, casting its large shadow on The ocean surface.  
  
The flying form moves with astounding speed. Dodging in and out of cloud banks, flying in circles and loops, The large creature moves as if unencumbered by The limitations of such things as gravity. With a sharp turn in midair, The creature dives straight for The sea below. With a splash that breaks The calm surface of The water, The flier dives beneath he surface and begins swimming. Wherever it passes, The animal life scatters with a chaotic burst.  
  
Nothing can challenge The beast.  
  
Suddenly, The creature turns its head toward The sky. It pauses, floating beneath The surface of The waves. Turning its head left, then right, always pointing toward The sky. In The air, a large transport emblazoned with The NERV logo flies past.  
  
Bursting from The waves with a feral roar, The monstrous entity launches itself from The waves and straight for The plane carrying The team from NERV-02.  
  
*****  
  
Inside The plane, The pilot is only half paying attention to The instruments. The plane is so advanced it nearly flies itself. This has allowed The pilot to all but abandon The cockpit. As he sits at The controls, idly contemplating taking a short nap, a light on The control panel flashes.  
  
It takes a moment for him to realize what is happening. Slowly, The realization dawns that something is not right. He jerks forward in his seat and begins pressing buttons. A small view screen folds up out of The panel in front of him, showing a radar display. The pilot looks at it closely, his eyes wide.  
  
He flips on his intercom. "Sub-commander Oliver, can you please come to The cockpit?"  
  
I minute later, The young black woman knocks on The door and enters. "What is it. Is There something wrong?"  
  
"Um, ma'am, I think you should look at This. There's something on The radar."  
  
She moves over to The panel, glancing at The radar screen. Confused, she asks "I don't understand. What is it?"  
  
The pilot points at various parts of The screen as he explains. "This is supposed to represent us. These dots; here, here, and here, represent The defense drones. This one, however, I have no idea. It just appeared a minute or two ago. It's gaining fast, whatever it is."  
  
"Are There external cameras?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am. Just a minute." The pilot flips a switches and The radar screen flips to static, then a series of images begin to cycle across The screen, changing every 30 seconds. Each image shows a view from outside of The transport, each from a different angle of viewing. At first, There is nothing out of The ordinary. Then, There is a flash of black at The end of one of The images.  
  
"Wait, can you cut back to that camera?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am." The pilot responds as he clicks The view back.  
  
There, in The middle of The screen, is a small black shape. As they watch, ti grows larger and larger. Soon, The form is filling The screen with it's body. It appears to be an oval shaped creature, with large leathery wings protruding from its back. Extending from The front of The thing are two long tendrils. As The two people watch, The oval splits open, revealing a double row of jagged teeth surrounding a large red sphere.  
  
"What The fuck is that thing, commander?"  
  
"That," The woman replies "would likely be an Angel."  
  
*****  
  
Sitting in The cargo bay of The transport, Lance and Angela are talking.  
  
"I'm telling you, Lance, Japan isn't bad at all. They have great food and The nightlife is amazing."  
  
"I'm sure it is. But, I still don't wanna be goin' There. I just don't feel right about This. Something just don't feel right here."  
  
"She kisses him on The cheek and smiles. "Oh, be quiet. Nothing is going to happen. What could possibly go wrong?"  
  
The intercom crackles to life with The voice of Annabelle Oliver. "Attention. Attention. Everyone to your stations. We have an Angel attack. I repeat, we have an Angel attack. Pilot Murphy, suit up and be prepared to engage with Unit-04. Technicians, have The Eva unit prepared for battle. We will launch in 90."  
  
Everyone takes a moment to simply sit an stare at each other, before The bay is filled with he running bodies of people attempting to do their job.  
  
Lance and Angela look at each other.  
  
"Did She just say what I think she did, Angela?"  
  
"Sh-sh-she did. We...you need to prepare. This transport isn't made for combat. If you don't do something, we will all die."  
  
Lance nods solemnly. He turns to go change into his suit, but is stopped by Angela's hand on his arm. He turns back to face her. She leans in and kisses him passionately on The lips.  
  
"For luck" is all she says as She runs off.  
  
*****  
  
~What am I doing? I can't fight an Angel. I can hardly pilot This thing as it is. I've only tried The one time, and I saw how well that went. THIS is insane. This is suicide. THIS is...~  
  
"Lance, everything is ready. You up for This?"  
  
"Not like I got a choice, is it ma'am."  
  
"I guess not. Just remember that The S2 engine is only to be used if There is no other option. After The last test, we can't risk something happening."  
  
"I wasn't plannin' on firin' it up anyhow. I got enough trouble comin' as it is, without takin' stupid risks."  
  
"One more thing. You have to remember to stay on The transport. We still haven't devised an aerial adaption. If you leave The transport, we may not be able to save you."  
  
"I know, I know. Let's just get This over with."  
  
The Eva moves toward a platform in The center of The bay. Once There, a series of bolts are activated, locking The Unit in place. As soon as The Eva is secured into place, a portal in The top of The transport opens like an iris. The platform raises through The opening in The ceiling, locking into place once There.  
  
Lance tests The row of controls in front of him. The platform turns left, then right. With an other set of controls, he is able to rotate The platform ack and forth, allowing a full range of motion.  
  
~All right, let's see just how tough This Angel is.~  
  
*****  
  
The flying creature, known to The Lillim as an Angel, circles The offending craft for a second time. It knows instinctively that What it seeks is within This thing in front of it. What The Angel cannot determine, is where within The craft This elusive goal lies.  
  
When The platform rises from inside The transport, The Angel senses The arrival of Unit-04 to The top of The transport. Twitching its tentacles and opening it's oversized mouth, it once again emits a deafening roar before charging toward The Evangelion.  
  
*****  
  
Lt. Evans turns toward Sub-commander Oliver. "Ma'am, are you sure This is The best idea? Isn't There some other way to handle This? The Eva is still untested in combat situations."  
  
"What other option do we have? This transport can't handle an attack. We are too far from any airbases to land. We could radio for assistance, but by The time any help arrive it would be too late. All we can do is send Unit-04 to fight, and pray."  
  
*****  
  
Lance stands ready as The Angel flies right at him. The sound of its roar causes uncomfortable vibrations throughout The LCL of The entry plug. He readies his rifle, aiming at The rapidly approaching beast. Lining it up in his sights, he wills The Eva to pull The trigger.  
  
The kickback of The gun, coupled with The speed of The moving plane, cause The bolts locking him in place to strain. The burst of gunfire flies randomly at The approaching Angel, strafing along it in a diagonal angle. Each bullet is stopped a few inches in front of The creature, deflected by a semi-invisible field of energy.  
  
~Aw damn, that's right. AT Field.~  
  
The Angel takes The opportunity provided by The unexpected kick from The gun to rush The Evangelion. It whips out its tentacles, wrapping one around The Unit's gun arm, and The other around The head. It opens its mouth, as if to roar again, but This time no sound emerges.  
  
Inside Unit-04, Lance is screaming in pain. With every moment, The Angel is tightening its grip on his Eva. Every bit of damage The Eva takes, Lance feels. When The Angel lets loose The silent roar, Lance is overcome by a series of images.  
  
He can see himself, dead. His body impaled by a jagged piece of metal. The LCL around him clouds with blood and he slowly slips into oblivion.  
  
He can see The ruins of NERV-02. The buildings are burning and There are dead bodies everywhere.  
  
He can see Unit-04 crushed by The tentacles of The Angel. The twisted metal and flesh of The Eva oozes a combination of blood, LCL, and mechanical lubricant.  
  
Then The images pass and The Angel closes its mouth.  
  
~What The hell was that?~  
  
The Angel continues to tighten its grip on The Eva. Lance can feel The metallic shell of The unit begin to buckle and bend under The pressure. Even through The layers of metal and flesh, he can hear The armor giving way.  
  
The arm with The rifle is being twisted backwards. The joint pops and cracks, finally snapping completely as The arm is ripped from The socket. Lance screams in agony, feeling as if his own arm has become dislocated as well.  
  
He grits his teeth and wills himself to ignore The pain. With The free arm, he reaches behind his Eva's head to grab his Progressive Knife. Flipping it on, The blade extends and begins to vibrate with power.  
  
~If I can finish a competition with my ankle broken, I can fight This bastard one armed.~  
  
With a cry of rage and determination, Lance buries his blade into The side of The Angel. Initially, The attack is repelled by The AT Field, just as The bullets were. However, unlike The bullets, This attack is a constant pressure. Slowly, The protective field begins to give way. Sparks begin to fly as The vibrating dagger bites into The flesh of The Angel.  
  
The Angel once more opens its mouth to let loose another roar, simultaneously tightening its grip on The Evangelion. As soon as The mouth is open, Lance thrusts his arm into The open maw, aiming straight for The red spheroid within.  
  
Realizing The mistake, The beast closes its mouth around The arm, trapping it inches from The vulnerable core. The jagged teeth grind into The silver arm of The mechanoid, raising more sparks. Lance leans forward, attempting to throw The Angel from him. The Angel responds with even more tightening of The grip it has.  
  
There is an audible creak and snap, then The bolts securing The Evangelion to The transport give. There is a moment of stillness as both Eva and Angel remain motionless, then both are thrown from The transport and begin to tumble toward The ocean below.  
  
"Sonofabitch!"  
  
The Angel flaps its wing frantically, attempting to stay airborne with The additional weight. It is futile, however. The Eva Unit's functioning arm has begun to drip blood, both its own and that of The Angel. Lance has continued to struggle against The vice-like grip of The beast's mouth.  
  
As The pair plummet toward The ocean, they begin to pick up speed. Faster and faster, they dive toward to sea far blow. The surface of The ocean flies closer and closer, until they suddenly snap to a halt.  
  
The umbilical cable powering Unit-04 pulls taut, stopping The falling Eva and passengers with a jolt. They swing from The cord for a moment, being dragged along The path The plane is flying.  
  
The sudden stop has dislodged The Eva's arm from The Angel's mouth,. Lance takes This opportunity to once more stab at The red core of The Angel. The flying creature attempts to clamp down again, but at that exact moment, The cable gives and The pair are once again falling. The momentum of The unexpected return to movement gives Lance The leverage he needs to complete his action.  
  
The knife touches The ruby sphere, puncturing it as if it were no more than soft butter. The Angel roars one final time, a last act of defiance and pain before The sphere goes dark. A bright white light flows from The opening create4d by The now inert knife, engulfing The Angel and Evangelion.  
  
There is a loud explosion and The light recedes. All that remains is The powerless Eva Unit, still falling to certain destruction.  
  
Inside The Unit, Lance frantically tries to figure out What to do now.  
  
*****  
  
On The transport, The technicians are holding their breath. Nobody was expecting The security bolts to give under The pressures of combat. When The umbilical cable stopped The falling unit, The entire transport felt a jolt. Then, There was The second jolt of The cable snapping.  
  
Now, with The Angel obviously defeated, There is The mixed feeling of relief and concern. The attack was thwarted, and The transport is unharmed. They will all survive. Yet, The Evangelion Unit has been lost. It is falling toward The sea, and they may not be able to stop it. The people on The transport may survive this, but at What cost? They do not even know if Lance is unharmed.  
  
In The confusion generated by The recent event's, nobody notices The projectile spit out of The Angel's mouth right before it was killed. Nobody sees The small shard of bone flying at The transport. Nobody hears The proximity alarm, warning everyone of The incoming projectile.  
  
The first sign of any of This is when The shard punctures The side of The plane. There is a scream and a flurry of activity as The shard imbeds itself in The opposite wall of The cargo bay.  
  
A small trickle of blood makes its way from The bone shard and down The wall.  
  
*****  
  
Following The explosion, The Eva Unit-04 continues to fall. The internal battery continues to run, counting down toward The inevitable end. Lance has stopped worrying. He calmly sits in The cockpit area, awaiting The impact.  
  
~This isn't exactly The way I thought my life would end. I kind of expected to have it be old age, or some illness or something. Not falling into The ocean in a big old tin can after fighting some sort of freak of nature. I wonder what happens now. Do I go to Heaven, or Hell, or somewhere else? Did I live a good life? I think I did. I didn't do anything real wrong. I may have lied a few times, and I know I could have been a bit more friendly toward some people. I don't think any of that stuff I took when I was a kid will count against me much. Just a couple of packs of gum and stuff. I guess I don't Have to worry about Japan now. Wait, that isn't funny. I hope Angela isn't too upset by this. She's a great girl. I don't want her to be unhappy. I don't want to die. Is this what it's like to die? My life isn't really flashing before my eyes. I'm just sort of rambling on in my head. This isn't what I would have expected. It's so...~  
  
His thoughts are cut short when he is jolted back against his seat. At first, he thinks he has finally hit surface. Then, he looks out The cracked view port, and realizes that he is floating above The waves. A few moments later, The radio crackles to life. "Pilot Murphy! Pilot Murphy, come in....Lance, talk to me."  
  
He turns on his transmitter. "I'm here...I think. What happened, Annabelle...I mean, Sub-commander Oliver?"  
  
"You beat The Angel. We almost lost you, though. The transport was only just able to drop a grapple to catch you. You did...a good job. We're going to hoist you up now."  
  
"You don't sound to happy. Somethin' wrong?"  
  
"There's something I have to tell you...when you get back on The transport."  
  
*****  
  
The second he is out of The entry plug, Lance heads toward The crowd of people containing Sub-commander Oliver. He doesn't even take The time to change out of his plug suit, or even clean off The LCL dripping off his body.  
  
"Alright, Commander, what's so important you gotta tell mein person?"  
  
The crowed parts at Lance's words, everyone scattering and finding Somethin, anything, to do to avoid The scene they all know is coming. Lying on The floor, in a pool of blood, is Lt. Angela Evans. Sub-commander Oliver is standing next to her, along with The medical doctor assigned to The transport. Lance looks from The woman on The floor to The two standing figures and back again.  
  
"What's goin' on? What happened to Angel?"  
  
"I'm afraid she was...injured during The fight Lance."  
  
"How? That critter didn't come anywhere near this thing. It was too busy tryin' to get at me."  
  
"I know, Lance. You did a good job of that. But, it looks like The Angel had one last attack before you killed it. We found this in The wall over There." She holds up a sliver of bone 3 inches long. "It punctured The ship and hit her on The way through."  
  
"Is...is she gonna be ok?"  
  
The doctor and sub-commander look at each other sadly. Lance doesn't wait to hear their answer, instinctively knowing from their expressions.  
  
"She's dead, ain't She?"  
  
The doctor speaks at this point. "Yes, I'm afraid She is. The sharp pierced her heart. She died almost instantly. There...was nothing I could do to save her."  
  
Lance simply nods wordlessly.  
  
~I killed her, then. It was my job to protect everyone, and I let The woman I love die. I failed again.~  
  
NERV CENTRAL; MARCH 22; 1400 HOURS  
  
The landing strip for The transport is relatively empty, all things considered. With such an important delivery, and one of such a volatile nature, one would expect a full military detail posted and on guard. With The arrival of an Evangelion, especially one of such an experimental concept, one would expect a crew of technicians. With The imminent arrival of a load of Americans, one would expect translators.  
  
Instead, all that can be found awaiting The arrival of The new Eva are Commander Kozo Fuyutski, two 15 year olds (one male, one female), and The bare minimum of support crew to land and unload The plane. They all watch silently as The plane approaches and lands.  
  
Once The transport has been secured and The cargo doors have opened, Commander Fuyutski steps forward.  
  
"On behalf of The people of Tokyo-3, I welcome you to NERV Central."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	4. Episode 04: Not So Warm Welcome

Evangelion - Exodus  
  
Episode Four: Not So Warm Welcome  
  
By Jonathan Jordan  
  
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.  
  
A/N #1: I'm sure those of you who have been reading this story so far have been wondering some things. Like what happened to the original pilots? Why isn't Gendo Ikari the head of NERV anymore? What about Instrumentality? Where are the technicians, and the classmates, and the rest of the characters from the show? Most importantly...What happened to Pen-Pen?!? Well, fear not faithful reader(s) (in case there is more than one of you out there), this chapter will answer some of those questions and open the way for future revelations. Some of this information will be recap from End of Evangelion, and some will be all mine. Most of you should be able to tell the difference. Don't say I never did anything for you, now.  
  
A/N #2: Looks like I am starting to lose my momentum a little bit here. I'm not sure if I will be able to keep up the pace I have had so far. If people ask real nice, I might be able to keep up the writing for a while longer. Otherwise, I may have to take a break for a little while. No matter what, I do want to finish this (if only so I can say I did). On another note, this chapter is one that I think a few of you will be interested in. Revelations of what happened to the characters from the anime, as well as the proper introduction of a character I personally know I will love writing. I just hope everyone enjoys. R&R please. I need the ego boost.  
  
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NERV CENTRAL; MARCH 22; 1415 HOURS  
  
Commander Fuyutski steps forward to greet the team from NERV-02. "On behalf of the people of Tokyo-3, I welcome you to NERV Central."  
  
He is taken aback by the solemn looks he receives in return. There is not a single face inside the transport smiling, or even looking half way happy about anything at the moment. He scans the cargo bay for some sign of someone in charge. A young black woman steps forward. And salutes him.  
  
"Commander Fuyutski, I am Sub-commander Oliver from NERV-02. You will excuse our lack of enthusiasm at the moment. We have just suffered a tragic loss."  
  
The Japanese man looks surprised. "What happened?"  
  
There was an attack. All readings indicate it was an Angel. We were forced to engage with Unit-04. The Angel was vanquished, but in the battle one of our technicians was injured. She...did not survive."  
  
"Oh my. I am saddened at your loss. If there is anything we can do to help with this loss, you have but only to ask."  
  
"Thank you Commander. I think we will be fine. We just need some time to let the fact sink in. We will be ready for work first thing in the morning, sir."  
  
The Commander nods and motions to the two children standing with him. "Nicholas, Yumiko, help with the unloading. Ms. Oliver, if you will come with me, there are some things we need to discuss."  
  
The woman nods and follows him, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of activity created by the unloading. Meanwhile, Lance has stayed off to himself. He watches as some physicians carry Angela's body off the transport and to parts unknown.  
  
~Something isn't right. I know I should feel more upset than I do. Why can't I cry? What is wrong with me? Why isn't this hurting more than it does?~  
  
He punches a wall in frustration. ~I loved her, and yet her death doesn't mean anything to me. Why?~  
  
*****  
  
Sub-commander of NERV-02, Annabelle Oliver, sits at a desk, staring at the screen in front of her in horror. She is being shown video captures of the events since the time of the accident at NERV-02, leading up to the present. Almost 7 months worth of footage.  
  
There is still been no explanation for the missing time. She remembers the experiment starting, the accident, and the anti-climactic end to it all.  
  
For her, it was only a few minutes. For the rest of the world around them, 7 long months had passed. The Eva project had come to fruition. The last Angel had been discovered, and defeated. Gendo Ikari's secret project to create the Third Impact had happened. SEELE had attacked NERV. And things had gone horribly wrong.  
  
The first video clip shows the events that unfolded in Terminal Dogma, where Gendo Ikari took Rei Ayanami. The camera focuses in on Dr. Akagi holing a gun on Commander Ikari, then a flash as Gendo fires on her. He walks toward the spot where Rei stands nude, and pauses in front of her. There is no sound, so Sub-commander Oliver is unable to figure out what he says to the young girl. She does, however, see him reach one hand out to seemingly grope the girl. Then, Annabelle gasps as the Commander's hand passes through Ayanami's skin. His expression changes from the characteristic smirk of one who knows everything, to one of shock as his hand is severed from his body. The young albino says something to him as he falls to his knees, then turns and floats into the air.  
  
The camera cuts to another shot, focusing in on the body of Lillith as Rei floats before it, and then is absorbed within. All is still on the screen for a minute, then the gargantuan form of the Second Angel comes to life and falls from the cross it was nailed to. LCL to rains down on Gendo Ikari, now on his knees in front of the Rei/Lillith hybrid before him. Then, the camera shorts out.  
  
The next clip is one of a hospital ward. Lying in the only bed in the room is a young boy with short, slightly spiky brown hair. There are a number of machines hooked up to him. The shot remains this way until the next clip plays.  
  
Fuyutski explains as the next clip loads. "That was Toji Suzuhara, the Fourth Child. The one who piloted the Eva that was possessed by an Angel. He has been comatose since that incident. It is amazing that he managed to survive all that has happened since then. The Angel attacks, and SEELE, and now the rebuilding process. There is little hope of recovery, however."  
  
The third clip begins to play. The camera is inside one of the halls of NERV, but it is difficult to make out much at first due to the lack of lighting. The darkness is broken by a door sliding open, revealing the Shinji Ikari and Misato Katsuragi standing before the mesh gate blocking the passage into the lift behind the door. There seems to be a bit of an argument, then the mesh gate flies open and Shinji stumbles back into the lift. As the door closes, Misato collapses to the floor in a puddle of her own blood.  
  
The screen cuts to an external view. The quick change from such a dark scene to one so well lit causes Anna to squint at first. once her vision clears, she can see Unit-02 emerge from a lake and take on the SEELE forces attacking NERV. Her Umbilical cable is severed, but the Eva continues to fight as if Asuka does not notice or care. A shadow passes over the Eva as the battle winds down. The source of the shadow soon becomes obvious as nine winged Evangelion Units, all identical, land around the red Unit. Asuka springs into action, taking out all nine opposing Units in 3.5 minutes.  
  
"Impressive moves" says Annabelle "I think that it would do us well to have her work with lance on his training"  
  
Fuyutski shakes his head sadly. "That is not an option, I'm afraid. Watch on."  
  
At that moment, one of the strange blades the SEELE controlled Evas were using flies toward Unit-02. An AT Field flies up to deflect it, until it alters shape on to a pronged lance of some sort. The AT Field falters, and the lance pierces the head of the red Eva. Then, to the surprise of Annabelle, the other disabled Units slowly begin to move again. They drag themselves together, unfurling their wings and taking to the air. They then descend on the immobilized Unit-02 like a pack of vultures.  
  
Sub-commander Oliver places her hand to her mouth, gagging, and looks away from the screen. Commander Fuyutski reaches over her shoulder to run the video past this scene and to the next, pausing it for her. He places a hand on her shoulder "It's so awful. The pilot, did she..."  
  
He shakes his head. "No, we were unable to cut the connection in time. She died of shock from the ordeal."  
  
Oliver shudders slightly, the color having drained from her face. She steels herself, and turns on the last video feed.  
  
Amidst a cloud of dust and debris, she can make out the purple form of Unit-01. Spreading behind it is an oddly shaped energy field, almost like an AT Field, yet more wing shaped. She notices that it resembles the same wing-like patterns the First Angel had in the few photos to survive Second Impact. The Eva strides slowly toward the carnage that remains of Unit-02. The other nine Evas turn to engage. Unit-01 pauses, facing the remains of Unit-02 completely, and is mobbed by the winged Evangelions surrounding it. They tear through the armored plating, to the interior of the Unit. One can be seen to rip the Entry plug from the back of Unit-01 and bite it in half. The attack goes on like this for another few minutes, then there is a flash of white and the video feed ends.  
  
"Once the Third Child was killed in the fight, we had no more reason to hold back. That flash was an N2 Mine. Unit-01 survived the explosion, but damaged beyond repair. The SEELE created Units were obliterated. Apparently, S2 Engines, when no properly shielded, do not mix well with nuclear armaments." Fuyutski explains.  
  
He continues. "With the destruction of the last functioning Evangelion Unit, the Human Instrumentality project was ruined. SEELE pulled back what troops they had. We began the process of recovering the Evas and rebuilding the base."  
  
"What of the First Child and Commander Ikari?"  
  
"Ayanami and Lillith disappeared during the attack. We have been unable to find any sign of either. As for Ikari, the loss of everything he had worked his entire life for drove him over the edge. He was found wandering around Terminal Dogma, babbling nonsense. He has been committed to a medical facility for the insane under NERV control."  
  
"That is it then? There was one final attack, then nothing until we showed back up?"  
  
"That's the gist of it. We have spent the last few months rebuilding and developing new Eva models to protect against further attack by SEELE."  
  
You think that SEELE will attack again?"  
  
"There is no doubt about it. We still have something they want. We still have the remains of Unit-01."  
  
*****  
  
The unloading of the equipment from the American base is nearly complete. Nicholas Dalton looks around the nearly empty transport, trying to decide if he's done enough work to get away with sneaking off. His eyes run from person to person, noting how nobody seems to be paying him any attention. Just as he is about to leave, he sees the lone figure sitting in a corner in the back.  
  
~Oh, look, that boy must be the pilot of Unit-04. He's kind of a shrimp, isn't he?~  
  
The young American boy puts on his best fake smile and strides confidently toward the person sitting alone. The solitary figure has his head down, hiding his face. Nicholas notices that the person is wearing a plugsuit as he stops in front of the stranger.  
  
"Hey, I'm Nicholas. I'm the 6th Child. Which one are you?"  
  
Lance looks up blankly. "'Scuse me?"  
  
"Whoa, holy shit. You're not a kid!"  
  
"No, that I ain't. What were you askin' me, though?"  
  
"Huh?...Oh, right. I was asking which Child you are. But, you're too old to be one of us, so...uh...nevermind about that."  
  
With a half grin Lance stands to show his full height, nearly a full head shorter than Nicholas. "I ain't that much older'n you, and you don't look like a child to me."  
  
Nicholas shakes his head, laughing. "No, no, no. Not child like a kid. Child like an Eva pilot. I'm the sixth one to be found by the Marduk Agency. I saw you sitting over here in that plugsuit and thought your were the pilot of this Eva."  
  
"I am the pilot of the Eva."  
  
"Now way! Dude, that totally rocks!"  
  
Lance scratches the back of his neck, turning a slight shade of red. "Ain't nothin' special. I only get to pilot her until they find the right kid...er, Child to do it."  
  
"Still, man, it's pretty cool. Yumiko and I are the only other people in the world allowed inside of an Evangelion. At least, until the next Child is found." He pauses for a second, a large smile crossing his face. "Hey, you want me to give you a tour of the place? I figure that, since I'm the only American who knows this place at all, you're better off with me than someone else."  
  
Lance smiles back. "Yeah. I still don't speak much Japanese. I know a word or two, but not enough."  
  
"Great! Let's get started with the cafeteria. I think they made hamburgers to welcome you guys to th3e base."  
  
Not even waiting for a response, he grabs Lance by the wrist and drags him toward the buildings at the other end of the tarmac.  
  
NERV-02; NEVADA DESERT  
  
The once abandoned sub-level is now crawling with activity. Dr. Stockton wanders the level, checking in with the investigators occasionally. Nearly half of the security forces for the base are here investigating the death of Lt. Greer.  
  
"What have you found?" the head technician asks a nearby medical officer.  
  
"It was definitely murder. You can see here, by how the skull fractured, that it was caused by a repeated trauma. Basically, his head was bashed in. You will also notice the bloody smears on the clothes right here. The splatter pattern from the wounds, as well as the appearance of the smears themselves, leads me to believe they were from the killer wiping his hand, and possibly whatever he used to kill the victim. Of course, that is all from a preliminary investigation. I'm sure that, given time, I will be able to tell you more."  
  
"Ok, keep me informed. I want to know everything you know, as soon as you know it."  
  
The medic nods and returns to his work. Dr. Stockton looks on sadly for a moment, before turning and taking a lift back to the surface levels.  
  
*****  
  
Lt. Turner stands outside of the office of Commander Young with trepidation in his eyes. He looks down the hall either direction. There are armed guards at all of the exits from the floor. At each intersection of corridors, there is a video camera watching all directions. He wipes the sweat from his brow and swallows his fear.  
  
~He doesn't know He can't know. There is no way I could have been caught.~  
  
He looks over the security on this level again. ~Even if he does know, I can't get away. At least, not alive.~  
  
Once more swallowing hard, he slowly reaches for the doorknob and enters the office.  
  
The interior of the room looks much like it always does. There are the maps of the United States and the World, predating the changes wrought by the Second Impact. There is a more contemporary globe, slightly out of date thanks to the angel attacks on Tokyo-3. The American flag is on a pole behind the Commander's desk, beside a shelf of trophies. Emblazoned on the floor is the familiar leaf symbol NERV. The hardwood desk, behind which Commander Young is seated, is covered in the usual assortment of paperwork.  
  
Upon hearing the door open, the Commander raises his head. "Ah, Lt. Turner. Please, have a seat. I think it is time we have a little talk."  
  
Those ten simple word are enough to frighten Adam more than anything has before. The color drains from his face as he breaks out into a cold sweat. "W-w-what do we need to talk about, sir?"  
  
"I have been watching you very closely, Adam."  
  
Adam nods slowly, looking like he is about to die.  
  
"Over the last few months, I have kept a watchful eye on your activities. I must say, I am impressed. You have done an outstanding job, especially in the weeks since the...accident."  
  
The expression on Adam's face changes from a look of terror to a look of surprise. "Th-thank you, sir."  
  
Commander Young continues. "I would like to reward you for your hard work and dedication. With Unit-04 having been shipped to Japan, your current job has been rendered somewhat obsolete. Under normal circumstances, your employment would be terminated or you would be transferred to NERV-05."  
  
Adam nods, indicating he was aware of this.  
  
"How would you like to remain here, and be transferred to another assignment?"  
  
"Sir? I wasn't aware of any other projects going on here." Adam says, fighting hard to keep a straight face.  
  
"You don't really expect a branch of NERV to not have a secret project, do you?" the Commander smirks. He opens up a drawer in his desk and pulls out a small, sealed file. He hands it to the young Lieutenant. "Here, this will tell you everything you will need to know for your new assignment."  
  
Adam salutes. "Thank you, sir."  
  
The commander salutes back before returning to his work. Lt. Turner turns and exits the room. He glances at the file in his hands and allows a smile to creep across his face. The label on the file reads PROJECT 11-6357.  
  
*****  
  
In the NERV-02 cafeteria, Adam Turner is sitting alone reading the file of his new assignment. Not that he would need to, considering the information contained within the folder is only a small portion of the full information on the project. Information he has already seen, and sold. But, he continues to read the folder. Partially to keep up the impression of ignorance about the project, partially to make sure he knows what portions of his total knowledge to pretend to be unaware of.  
  
A shadow falls over the table, and he looks up into the eyes of Charles Stockton. "Good afternoon, Adam. Mind if I join you?"  
  
"Not at all, Doctor. Let me just clear some of this away." he replies as he gathers up the contents of the folder, placing it into a backpack he has nearby.  
  
Dr. Stockton smiles. "I see the Commander has assigned you to the new project as well. Congratulations."  
  
"Thank you, sir"  
  
"Oh, come on Adam, no need to rely on formalities like rank when were aren't working. Call me Charles."  
  
Adam nods with a smile. "I guess I can do that." He pauses, a look of concern crossing his face. "You look tired. Is everything ok?"  
  
Dr. Stockton shakes his head, removing his glasses with a sigh. "No, I'm afraid it isn't. Do you know Lt. 2nd Class Greer?"  
  
"Not well. I think I talked to him once or twice. He had me look over a report he did once. I never really have gotten to know him, though."  
  
"Yeah, most of us are like that. He was a pretty solitary guy."  
  
"Was? Did something happen to him?"  
  
"He disappeared a few days ago. Since he was so solitary, nobody noticed. I found a message from him, which led me to an abandoned sub-level. That's where I found..."  
  
Dr. Stockton's internal defenses break down and he begins to cry. Adam looks both confused and uncomfortable at the same time.  
  
"What did you find?"  
  
Through the sobs, Dr. Stockton manages to respond. "I...found....h-h-his...b-body. He...he...he was murdered."  
  
"MURDERED?" Adam cries out, a bit louder than he intended to. He looks around to make sure nobody was actually paying attention to what he said and continues. "Murdered? How? Who would have been able to get on base to do it?"  
  
The doctor shrugs. "I don't think it was someone from off base. The work tat he was doing, and the area he was found in, lead me to believe it was an internal job. Someone who works here did it."  
  
"Why would someone do something like that?"  
  
Composing himself, still sniffling, Dr. Stockton looks Adam straight in the eyes. "I don't know. But, from the way this person left the body, we had better find out fast. Whoever this is, is a monster."  
  
NERV CENTRAL; TOKYO-3  
  
The view of Tokyo-3's geofront is awe inspiring. Lance gazes in wonder at the sky far above through the partially rebuilt hole in the ceiling of the once subterranean dome. Far below him is the lush green of the geofront floor, broken only by the building housing Central NERV.  
  
~Looks like some sort of strange pyramid~ he thinks.  
  
"Earth to Lance. C'mon Lance, this place isn't THAT interesting."  
  
Lance starts as the voice of Nicholas Dalton breaks his reverie. "Sorry 'bout that. I just ain't seen nothing like this before. It blows the mind, thinkin' that men built this." He gestures to encompass the view before them.  
  
Nicholas just looks around, mindlessly chewing on the hamburger he brought with him. With a shrug he turns back to Lance, talking around the food in his mouth. "Hmmm, yeah I shupposhe thatsh true. I guessh I'm jusht ushed to it by now."  
  
Lance suppresses a shudder as he sees a piece of partially chewed food rocket out of the young pilot's mouth and fly toward him. He takes a bite of his own burger. He can't help buy focus on the fact that it just doesn't taste right. He can't place what it is, but there is something just...off about the way they make burgers in Japan.  
  
Nicholas grins at him. "It's the burger, isn't it? I don't know what the hell they put in them, but the damned things never taste like they did at home. Even the McDonald's doesn't taste right."  
  
This gets a grin out of Lance. "Damn, how do you mess up McDonald's?"  
  
The boy only shrugs and laughs. "Leave it to some foreigners to fuck up what Americans have made"  
  
A shadow grows over the two of them from behind. "Foreigners? You call the Japanese foreigners in their own country? Where do you get off saying anything about us, when you are the foreigner here?"  
  
Both boys jump and turn around. Nicholas looks embarrassed, and a little angry. Lance simply looks confused. Standing behind them is a short, Japanese girl. She's dressed in a purple sweatshirt and jeans, hand on her hips and glaring at the two boys.  
  
"What did she just say?" Lance asks, his Japanese still too rusty to fully grasp why she is angry.  
  
The girl whirls and looks at him. In a heavily accented English, she responds. "Stupid American. I said, you are both...how do you say it? Jerks."  
  
Nicholas now looks to be fuming. "What were you doing listening in to our conversation, Yumiko? It's none of your business what we are saying to each other."  
  
"It is my business if you are insulting my culture. Calling us foreigners in our own country is just rude, even for you."  
  
"Yeah? Well, it's not like we really mean that shit. We're just joking around. You know, the only two sane people here trying to bond. You're just being a bitch."  
  
"Bitch? Bitch?!? I'll show you bitch!" She balls up her fist, swings, and punches him right in the stomach. Nicholas doubles over, falling to his knees and gasping for breath. The girl glares down at him, turning the evil look on Lance. "All you Americans are the same."  
  
As she storms off, lance moves to help Nicholas to sit up. "Who in the hall was that? She's a feisty little thing, ain't she?"  
  
Nicholas nods. "That would be the 7th Child. Yumiko Aiharu. Don't mind her. She's not as bad as she seems. Just a little...touchy at times."  
  
Lance looks the direction she left, watching her small form seem to shrink as she walks away. "Touchy seems to be an understatement. I don't look forward to working with her."  
  
Nicholas laughs, still coughing a bit from the hit. "Think of it this way, if you ever need help in a fight...she's got one hell of a solid punch. Now, come on, we have to get back to the base."  
  
*****  
  
"Beautiful, aren't they?" Commander Fuyutski proclaims as the small car moves along the cable it is hanging from. In the dimly lit, cavernous room outside the windows of the vehicle, six giant forms can be seen. This is the hangar where the Evangelions are kept.  
  
They past the first three Units, blue, purple, and red in color (respectively). Each shows the signs of serious battle damage. The red and purple Units look particularly bad, torn to pieces and one step from not even being allowed to be called Evangelions anymore.  
  
Beyond this morbid scene stands the shining silver form of Unit-04. The other occupant of the car, Sub-commander Oliver, looks out on the Eva with pride.  
  
The following two Eva Units are very different from the others. One, a bright, almost blinding, yellow, is built much like Unit-02, though larger and with an odd lump on the back. The other, a subdued tan color, is sleek and almost catlike in appearance.  
  
Fuyutski gestures toward the yellow Eva. "That is Unit-14, piloted by the Sixth Child. It is a variation on the standard production model. The protrusion from the back stores a pair of wings for use in aerial combat. Until an internal power source can be found, however, they serve as nothing more than an extended shield."  
  
Annabelle points to the other Unit. "So, that would be Unit-15? Piloted by the Japanese girl, right?"  
  
Fuyutski nods. "Yes. It is a special skirmisher model. Smaller and faster than the other Evangelions. It is too light to effectively use the guns designed for the other Evangelions, so is designed to close on the enemy rapidly and engage in close combat."  
  
Annabelle looks at Fuyutski in confusion. "Why did you continue to build Eva Units? I thought you all assumed the Angel threat was over"  
  
"We did. But, the threat of attack from other sources was still high. After the losses incurred during the attack by SEELE, we felt it was in our best interests to continue with the Evan Project."  
  
"And, you want to use Unit-04 to find an internal power source?"  
  
"Precisely. SEELE perfected the S2 Engine, to an extent. They found a way to use the technology, but only with Dummy Plugs. For human pilots, it proved fatal. The SEELE manufactured Units were effective in combat, but erratic in behavior due to the dummy plugs. If we can get the S2 Engine perfected for use with human pilots, we can improve our defensive capabilities dramatically."  
  
Annabelle nods, and the conversation continues on to other topic as the car makes its way out of the hangar and on to other locations.  
  
*****  
  
Much later in the day, Lance finds himself alone and wandering the halls of NERV. His tour of the base, by way of Nicholas, having been ct short by a call for the Eva pilots to report to the labs for some last minute synch testing. He looks around at the numerous doors, realizing that this base looks almost identical to the one he left in Nevada.  
  
Same shape. Same layout. Same color scheme. Same uniforms. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd swear that the people he passes in the hall were the same people he used to pass at NERV-02. The only real difference is the occasional doorway that has been blown down, or rubble lining an as yet unrepaired hall, or a scorch mark or bullet hole along the wall. The reminders of the attack by SEELE.  
  
In reality, he knows that the only reason he allowed Nicholas to drag him all over the base was because he was lonely.  
  
~It was bad enough coming here when I still had Angel to keep me company. Now that she's...gone, I'm all alone. Nick's ok and all, but he's just a kid still. There's nobody here closer to my age that I can talk to. Just me, some kid, and a bunch of Asians.~  
  
He is so caught up in his thoughts, he doesn't see the technician turning a corner in front of him. With a jolt, they bump into each other in an explosion of paper. The young woman frantically drops to her knees, trying to gather them up as quickly as she can.  
  
Lance kneels in front of her, helping to gather the errant papers. His tongue stumbles over the words as he tries to apologize in Japanese. "I'm...sorry. I was not....watching where I was..." ~Dammit, what was the word again?~  
  
She looks up, a small smile and the beginnings of a blush apparent on her face. "No. The fault was mine. I shouldn't have been reading this while I walked."  
  
She looks at him, her blush deepening. With the same amount of difficulty as Lance was having with Japanese, she speaks in English to him. "Oh...you are...an American. From NERV-02?"  
  
He nods. "Yeah, my name's Lance. I guess you could say that I pilot Unit-04."  
  
She accepts the handful of papers he offers, clasping the entire stack to her chest as she stands. "I am Makoto. It is...nice to meet you."  
  
Lance stands as well, waving as she walks off. "Yeah, nice meetin' you."  
  
*****  
  
"I don't like him."  
  
"Yumi, you don't like anyone." Nicholas responds with a smile.  
  
"Well, I really don't like him. He's loud and obnoxious."  
  
"How can you know that? You haven't spend more than a couple minutes with him, most of which was you screaming at or hitting me."  
  
"I can just tell. He seems like the type."  
  
Nicholas rolls his eyes and sighs deeply. "Ms. Aiharu, you are just an antisocial little brat."  
  
The shorter girl just glares at him and storms away to the sound of his laughter.  
  
*****  
  
On the northern end of the island of Japan, something large stirs beneath the earth. With a deep rumbling, the ground cracks and splits, allowing the beast beneath to rise. The alternating pattern of black and white intermingling across its skin in a fluid pattern, with a red spherical gem on it's underbelly, causes it to shine almost hypnotically in the afternoon sun.  
  
The creature takes a moment to take in its surroundings, then lifts one of its three legs and heads toward its destination. Each step of the large tripod shaped entity shakes the earth beneath it.  
  
Each step takes it one step closer to Tokyo-3, and NERV.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	5. Episode 05: A Perfect Roommate

Evangelion - Exodus  
  
Episode Five: A Perfect Roommate  
  
By Jonathan Jordan  
  
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
NERV CENTRAL; TOKYO-3  
  
"Pilots have all reached the cockpit of their entry plugs."  
  
"Good. Initiate test sequence Echo-Bravo-Alpha." orders the Senior Technician.  
  
"Yes ma'am." replies the long haired man at the terminal.  
  
He deftly types the command sequence into the computer and the lights in the adjoining room dim. Within the now darkened room is nothing more than three entry plugs, removed from any Evangelion units. They are each individually numbered, and each contains the diminutive body of one of the Eva pilots.  
  
The lab which houses the machinery used for these tests is in many ways a contrast of the other room. Where the other room is dark, this room is flooded with light. The other room is nearly empty, while this is crowded with various pieces of machinery. Pacing at the back of the room is Maya Ibuki, Senior Technician of NERV since the untimely death of Dr. Ritsuko Akagi a few months back.  
  
Her second in command, Shigeru Aoba, is monitoring the progress of the tests. "Test sequence running. All pilot vitals are optimal. Synch ratios at 90%"  
  
"Introduce a variable. We want to see how well these ratios stand up against stressful situations. Increase variance by 2 degrees."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
*****  
  
Inside the entry plug numbered 14, Nicholas sits and flips the switch on his radio. He cycles through all of the different frequencies and channels on the radio with a look of frustration on his face. The color from his spiked hair, blue today, is beginning to permeate the LCL surrounding him, changing it from the normal yellow to some sickening green. ~Come on. This thing has to be able to pick up radio stations just as easily as communications. These tests are boring. I need some good techno beats to keep me awake.~  
  
Inside the plug labeled 15, Yumiko is sitting and patiently waiting for further orders. Occasionally Nicholas can be herd muttering something about music over the radio as he flips through the communications channels. She does not bother responding, or even telling him off for his behavior. She just rolls her eyes.  
  
The final plug, labeled 04, holds Lance. Of the three of them, he is the most noticeably nervous. He fidgets and squirms in his seat, idly flipping switches and pushing buttons. He sighs to himself, his thoughts drifting toward Angela again (as they have been ever since she died).  
  
The radios in all three plugs crackle to life. "The testing has begun. Nick, Yumi, you both know what to do. Lance, you just need to concentrate on connection. Like if you were really piloting your unit. We will be introducing some stimuli to the procedure to simulate combat situations. Just attempt to adapt as best you can. Nobody is expecting you to have great results this time around, so don't worry if you find it difficult. And Nick, stop playing with the radio."  
  
Everything falls silent, and the tow children and a young man begin their tests.  
  
*****  
  
"Variance implemented. Synch ratings are now as follows: #14: 75%. #15: 88%. #04: ...that can't be right."  
  
"What is it Aoba?" asks Dr. Ibuki.  
  
"His synch ratio. It's remained at 90%. There wasn't even a moment of fluctuation. He has maintained his ratio."  
  
"How? Even Shin...the Third Child did not have ratings like that. Could this be a computer glitch?"  
  
"It's possible, but everything seems to be in order."  
  
"I will want a copy of the results of this session to examine later."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
*****  
  
It is nearly an hour later that the tests end. While the technicians perform their last second calculations and general wrap-up of the tests, the pilots head off to the NERV showers to clean up.  
  
Lance and Nicholas are sitting on the bench in front of their lockers, pulling out their street clothes. They are both still steaming from the shower and are wrapped in towels. Lance has already taken the time to put his trademark cowboy hat on, even before pulling his pants out to get dressed. Nicholas similarly has postponed dressing to don some brightly colored strings of beads and to reapply the color to his hair.  
  
"So, what did you think of your first synch test?"  
  
"Wasn't my first. I've been doin' these for a while. Preparation for the actual pilotin' of Unit-04. This was just the first that had other people testin' at the same time."  
  
The Sixth Child turns to look at his Texan companion. "Still, it must have been different enough to be like a first time..."  
  
Lance shrugs. "I suppose. Wasn't much of anything special for me."  
  
Nicholas opens his mouth to say something else, when a small Japanese girl rounds the corner. She has her mouth open, as if she too was about to speak, when she suddenly blushes a deep crimson and turns to face away from the two young men.  
  
"Gawd, you two, get dressed already."  
  
Nicholas smirks. "What's wrong Yumiko? Afraid you might like what you see?" He proceeds to remove his towel and toss it over her head. She rips the towel off of her head with a sound indicating her displeasure. Lance can't help but laugh at this.  
  
The seventh Child whirls on her heels, towel in hand, and storms over to stand face to face with Lance. She glares down at him, her short stature doing little to aid in her attempt at intimidation.  
  
"What are you laughing at?"  
  
Trying hard to stifle his laughter, he responds. "Just that...well...it's funny to see you get all worked up over nothin'."  
  
"Nothing? You think this is nothing?"  
  
He nods. "That's the short of it, yeah."  
  
Before she can retort, Nicholas clears his throat. "Um, a little privacy Yumi. Some of us still need to get dressed." She looks up to see him standing in front of her, wearing nothing more than a smile and a strategically placed washcloth. "And, can I have my towel back now?"  
  
The young girl gives another angry noise as she throws the towel back at him and leaves to the sound of the two boys laughing.  
  
*****  
  
The view screen on the tiny machine in front of Annabelle Oliver flickers to life with the press of a button. She silently stares at the static on the monitor. Watching a single line form at the bottom of the screen, then creep its way up until disappearing at the top, only to return her eyes to the bottom to find another line forming. She finds it soothing, relaxing even, to just allow the screen to remain unfilled. It is peaceful to hear the snowy hiss of an unopened communications line.  
  
But, she has work to do. She doesn't allow herself more than a moment of this bliss before she dials in the code for a secure line, then the number to connect her with the base in Nevada.  
  
There is another minute of silence and static as the call is routed and the other side of the connection is answered. The black and white chaos of the static fades into a technicolor jumble, which congeals into the image of Commander Young at NERV-02.  
  
"Sub-commander Oliver, what do you have to report?"  
  
"I have the final analysis of the battle during our flight to Japan. Our first suspicion was that it was an Angel attack. However, after speaking with Commander Fuyutski and receiving a briefing on events that have transpired during our period of missing time, we cannot be sure. All readings indicated Angel, but the prophecies have all been fulfilled. The last Angel was defeated months ago."  
  
"Any speculation on what this new threat could be?"  
  
"I have rechecked the data from the battle. There is one slight discrepancy between the AT Field produced by this beast and the AT Fields of the original Angels. All readings matched, save for the slight variance in the spectrographic particle wave. We are still going over the data to see if we can determine what the hell that thing was. If you will pardon my language, Sir."  
  
The commander smiles. "No apology necessary. How are other things going?"  
  
"Most of the team have acclimated well. There are a couple techs that have had some difficulty with the systems here. Mr. Murphy has likewise had a good deal of difficulty fitting in. We are working on solving these problems. Everyone is still having a difficult time dealing with the loss of Lt. Evans."  
  
The screen shows the commander nodding. "What about you? How are you doing?"  
  
"I am doing fine, Commander. Commander Fuyutski is very accommodating of my needs. My work is going along as scheduled."  
  
"That isn't what I mean, Anna. How are you holding up?"  
  
She doesn't answer for a moment, her face a mask of emotions. When she does speak, her voice is soft. "It...has been hard. Lt. Evans and I were not what I would call friends, but I did like her. She was a good person. Her death...it was so sudden and pointless. It is hard to hold it all together, but I have to stay strong to keep the rest of the team from falling apart."  
  
Commander Young responds with a sigh. "The curse of leadership. You know that if you need someone, I am here for you."  
  
"I do. Thank you, Charles." She composes herself, wiping the tears that have begun to form in her eyes away and sitting up straight. "End of Report. If there is nothing further, I have a meeting with the commander in 15 minutes."  
  
"No, that will be all. I will check in with you in 3 days for an update. Commander Young out."  
  
The screen goes blank, returning to the static from earlier. Annabelle leans back in he chair, closing her eyes. She begins to cry, her body trembling as the soft crackle of static fills the room.  
  
*****  
  
Lance is sitting alone in an open area of the NERV complex. He is relaxing beneath a tree, enjoying the early spring air as he fiddles with a guitar. He plays bits and pieces of a variety of songs, never completing one before jumping to the next. With no one else around, he has lowered his facade of happiness to let his true feelings show. There is a mixture of sadness and anxiety beneath the surface he portrays, and it is starting the leak through.  
  
"That's not too bad." says a voice from slightly behind him. With a start, he strikes a sour note and stops playing. Turning to see who it was that spoke to him, Lance sees Yumiko standing a few feet off.  
  
She speaks again. "I'm surprised. You are actually good at something."  
  
He give a very fake and sarcastic smile. "Well, thank you so much. I will take that as a compliment, even though I am more skilled than you probably realize."  
  
"You can't pilot an Eva."  
  
"What are you talkin' about? I have, can, and still will pilot and Eva. Unless you forgot about the reason I'm here to begin with. I'm pretty good at it too, if today's tests mean anything"  
  
"You may be good in the tests, and you may be allowed to control Unit-04. But, you are not a true Eva pilot. You never will be. Nicholas and I were chosen for this because it is our destiny to be Eva pilots. You, on the other hand, are only using your Eva until a suitable child can be found."  
  
Lance is stunned into silence momentarily. "You come all the way out here to tell me this? That I'm not good enough to be one of you?"  
  
"Actually, no. I came here because this is one of my favorite areas to just sit and think. It was just luck that you were here."  
  
"I'll let you have it then. No reason to stay here and be insulted further."  
  
He packs away his guitar and walks back toward the main building. Yumiko sits down under the tree, in the spot Lance just vacated, and stares at him as he leaves. Then she turns toward the horizon and watches the sun creep along the edge of the geofront.  
  
"It's going to be a nice day" she mutters to herself as she leans back to enjoy the scenery.  
  
*****  
  
"That new guy is amazing, isn't he?"  
  
The two men sitting with Makoto Akiyama grin. "You would say that, Akiyama." says the one with longer hair.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean Aoba?"  
  
The other man responds. "Isn't it obvious? We can all tell you have an interest in him."  
  
"Yeah," says Aoba "I've seen the way you look at him."  
  
The young woman glares at the two me. "You're one to talk Hyuga. What about you and Major Katsuragi?" Almost as soon as she says this, she realizes her mistake. Ever since Misato was killed in the attack on NERV, the mention of her name has been a definite taboo. She was well liked by everyone who worked with her, and even more so by Hyuga. "Look...I'm sorry about that I shouldn't have brought her up."  
  
The other man simply shakes his head. "No, it's ok. We lost a lot of people that day. It has been a few months since the attack. The city has begun to rebuild. It's time we all got over our losses and moved on."  
  
They all fall silent at this. Each is lost in their thoughts. Around them, the regular business of NERV continues on as if the three of them are not even there. In the background, the sounds of computers processing and people typing at keyboards can be heard.  
  
Hyuga breaks their silence. "He is impressive, though."  
  
Aoba nods in agreement. "Yeah. Better than the other two are. If he wasn't too old, I'd be sure he was supposed to be one of the actual Evangelion pilots."  
  
"Even with his age, he would make a much better Sixth Child than the one we have. That Nicholas kid is lucky to get his Eva moving at all, let alone be useful in a fight. At least Yumiko, the Seventh Child, is competent." responds Hyuga.  
  
"That's really unfair, and you know it. Nicholas may not be as good at Ikari, or Ayanami, or Soryu. But, neither is Yumiko. You don't do them justice by comparing them to the original three." scolds Akiyama.  
  
"The new guy stands up to comparison with the first three." Says Hyuga.  
  
"He's special, though." responds Akiyama.  
  
The other two men laugh. "You should just ask him out and get it over with, Makoto. Save all of us the trouble of hearing you go on about him."  
  
She blushes. "I couldn't do that. Didn't you hear? The woman who died in the Angel attack on their flight here. He was dating her. It is just in bad taste to ask him out so soon after that."  
  
"Why don't you three get back to work, and save your personal lives for after we are done here?"  
  
All three technicians slink down in their seats and turn to look at Dr. Ibuki. She has a half grin on her face as she continues. "Come on guys. We have a lot of work to get done with the contingent from NERV-02 here. Let's just try to get finished with today's tasks, and we can all talk about the new arrivals afterwards."  
  
*****  
  
Above ground, and outside of the area once covered by the geofront, in what was once a residential section of Tokyo-3, lies a partially intact apartment complex. There is very little left after the destruction wrought by SEELE during their attack on NERV. Everyone has abandoned this particular section of the city. Even squatters find nothing of importance here.  
  
This is why the movement within one of the old apartments is so unexpected.  
  
The place itself is a charred husk of what it once was. There is little left to identify who the previous tenant was, before the attack. Scattered pieces of clothing, a melted phone, some burned pictures. This is all that remains of the life of Misato Katsuragi.  
  
There is even less to commemorate the lives of Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu. Of them, nothing remains but a tattered old doll and a pair of headphones.  
  
In the area that used to serve as a kitchen and dining area, there lies an overturned mini-fridge. The contents, a number of cans of beer and instant curries, lie spilled over the floor. Among the sealed containers, and not-so-sealed containers, are the rotting remains of a large number of fish.  
  
It is here that the movement originates. Rooting through the fetid mess of fish is a small black and white shape. It digs around until a relatively intact fish is found in the pile. The small penguin gulps the fish down hungrily. This ritual of digging for semi-intact fish and eating them continues for a few more minutes before the bird stands and steps away from the pile.  
  
It lets out a soft noise, almost sounding like a cough, before waddling to the twisted remains of another mini-fridge. Wriggling through the opening where the door has become bent out, preventing it from opening or closing but allowing a small opening nonetheless. Under normal circumstances, this feat would not have been possible. However, given his recent diet, Pen-Pen is able to fit his malnourished body inside with little effort.  
  
He looks at the picture of Misato on his floor, the only picture of her to survive the apartment's destruction, and croaks out a sad squawk before lying down to sleep.  
  
*****  
  
Lance is wandering the halls of NERV with no real destination in mind. His mind has once again begun to wander toward thoughts about recent events. The test of Unit-04. His first fight with an Angel. The death of Angela. The transition to life in Japan these past few days.  
  
It is enough to give him a headache.  
  
The arrival of the always boisterous Nicholas does very little to remedy this. Lance smiles at the younger boy, while internally cursing his luck. he keeps walking, allowing Nicholas to fall into step beside him.  
  
"Lance! Did you get the message yet?"  
  
"Message? What the hell are you talkin' about?"  
  
"The commanders have been looking for you. They are going to be moving you to off base housing."  
  
Lance stops short, looking over toward the young pilot. "They're movin' me? Why?"  
  
"Well, since your Japanese is still weak, and you haven't been fully trained in the operations of an Evangelion, the command staff has decided to place you with someone to bring you up to speed."  
  
"What're you sayin'?"  
  
"Think about it man. You need to live with someone who knows how to pilot. Who better than the only American to pilot an Eva?"  
  
Understanding dawns on Lance's face as the words sink in. "So, they're gonna be stickin' me with you?"  
  
Nicholas nods.  
  
"That would be great. Yer becomin' a good friend, even if you are still just a kid." Lance playfully punches Nicolas in the arm with a laugh. Nicholas grins and hits back as they continue down the hall. "You really think they'd let us do that though? I mean, it ain't like you would be very good for teachin' me about Japan or nothin'."  
  
"Hey, just telling you what I heard. nobody said you needed to learn about Japan. At least, not while I was listening. It's as good as..."  
  
His response is cut short as the entire building shakes. The lights flicker, then everything goes red and an alarm starts to blare.  
  
"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ALL PERSONEL ARE TO REPORT TO THIER STATIONS IMMEDIATELY. POSSIBLE ANGEL ATTACK. REPEAT, ALL PERSONEL TO THIER STATIONS, WE HAVE ANGEL ATTACK."  
  
The two young men stand dumbfounded as the people around them spring into action. Nicholas looks over at lance. "Did they just say Angel attack?"  
  
"Sounds like it. We better head off to our Evas or somethin'."  
  
The boy nods and they break into a sprint toward the hangar bay housing their Evangelion Units.  
  
*****  
  
The black and white tripod of a creature rears up on two of its legs, bringing the third down hard on the Central Headquarters of NERV. There is a thunderous crash with the impact. The ground surrounding the building shakes, causing the transports parked nearby to bounce off the ground from he force of the shockwave.  
  
Again and again the Angel pummels the building before it. With each successive hit, more of the outer facade of the structure is demolished, crumbling away in clouds of fine dust. The armored superstructure beneath the surface likewise begins to give, denting and buckling in with each impact. Cracks begin to form along areas of the building, and the Angel continues to attack.  
  
It is relentless. Somewhere inside this building, it knows there lies the thing that it seeks. It must achieve its goal at any cost. There will be success, or there will be death. It knows this, accepts it.  
  
It does not plan on failing. Failure is not an option for Anthriel, the Angel of Balance. Not like its brother Angel. Not like Ambriel, Angel of Communication.  
  
It pauses in its attack. Something approaches...  
  
*****  
  
The levels of NERV's underground facilities fly past as the Eva Unit-15 launches. The last hatch opens, allowing the cat-like Eva to step out of the cage and face the three legged Angel. Inside, Yumiko Aiharu sits at the controls. She is most definitely not happy.  
  
~Where the hell are those two? I can't take this thing by myself. My Unit isn't made to fight like this.~  
  
She doesn't have enough time to think on the subject further as the Angel ceases its attack on NERV to face her. There is a moment of stillness while the two foes evaluate each other. The Angel is the first to make a move, stomping on the ground with such force, the earth literally rolls in a wave out from the impact. The Eva Unit is caught off balance by this, falling over.  
  
Yumiko frantically wills her Eva to get up. It struggles to regain its footing, reaching behind its back and drawing a long cylinder. With a flick of the wrist, the cylinder has extended out to a full length staff, sized for an Evangelion. Another hand movement and prog knife blade flips out of one end of the staff. Yumiko directs it to spin the staff in one hand and crouch into a fighting stance.  
  
The Angel advances on the Unit. Each step makes a thunderous noise and causes the ground to shake. Yumiko swears to herself as Unit-15 stumbles with each step taken by the Angel. She has to concentrate her full attention on just staying on her feet, let alone thinking of attacking the behemoth. The closer the Angel gets, the harder this is to maintain.  
  
~If I can just stay standing long enough to get it within reach of my weapon...~  
  
Her hopes fall short when the Angel stops just out of her reach. Almost as soon as it has stopped, the gigantic tripod seems to crouch down. Then it jumps high into the air, landing with a deafening crash.  
  
The earth shakes and shudders. A nearby building, one of the new high-rise buildings built in the reconstruction of Tokyo-3, topples on top of the unsteady Unit-15. The prog spear is knocked from its hands and clatters to the ground 20 feet away.  
  
The Angel looms over the fallen Eva. It lifts one foot, pausing to redistribute weight to increase the power of the attack. Yumiko struggles and fights to free herself from the rubble, or to eject her entry plug. It is all to no avail. There is a slight ripple through the Angel's skin, and it's foot drops toward the head of the tan Evangelion.  
  
Only, it never connects. Yumiko opens her eyes, not having even realized that she had closed them in the first place. The angel is still looming over her, but it is now missing a leg.  
  
Standing just next to Unit-15's head, and aiming its gun at the Angel, is the silver form of Unit-04.  
  
*****  
  
NERV, Central Dogma.  
  
The three techs are at their stations monitoring the battle. In the shadowy recesses of the room, Commander Fuyutski and NERV-02 Sub-commander Oliver are likewise watching the battle with great interest.  
  
"Commander, are you sure it is wise to send Unit-04 out? Lance is not even an actual pilot. He is just fulfilling a temporary role until a suitable candidate can be found."  
  
"Ms. Oliver, I assure you that I know what I am doing. While your Mr. Murphy may not be a pilot, he is the only one with the proper skills to man an Eva who has also faced an Angel before. Remember, the other two have been trained to face human foes."  
  
*****  
  
Inside Unit-04, Lance is trying desperately to stop shaking. He is not very successful with this.  
  
~This isn't right. I shouldn't be out here. Every time I get inside this thing, something goes wrong. First the accident at NERV-02, then Angela's death. What am I going to foul up this time?~  
  
He stands over the prone form of Unit-15, keeping his rifle trained on the black and white tripod (minus one leg) before him. Neither Eva unit, nor the Angel itself, moves. Each gauges the potential strength of its foe. The radio inside the cockpit crackles to life.  
  
Yumiko's voice is heard over the line. "What are you doing out here, and where is Nicholas?"  
  
"Hell if I know. On both counts. I don't think I should even be out here. Like you have pointed out to me, I ain't a pilot. I don't belong here."  
  
"Well, just try not to get in the way, all right? Nicholas and I are trained for this, you aren't."  
  
"Fine by me. I got no problem bein' back-up to y'all."  
  
"Good. Now, help me get out of this rubble. I have an Angel to kill."  
  
*****  
  
Nicholas, at the controls of Unit-14, covers behind a building and watches the stand-off between the other Evas and the Angel. His trembling inside the entry plug causes the LCL to ripple and distort his vision. He scolds himself for being such a coward when his friends, old and new, need him to aid them. He just can't seem to will himself to move from his hiding spot. Try as he might, his legs will not move.  
  
He watches at Unit-04 cautiously kneels at the side of the partially buried Unit-15. It sets the rifle it was aiming at the Angel down and begins to remove the rubble from Unit-15. The Angel does not move, for reasons only it can fathom. The silver Eva has little trouble removing the ruined building from the tan Eva.  
  
Nicholas watches the proceedings in awe. His gaze shifts between the prone form of the Angel and the two other Evangelions at work. He gasps as the Angel's skin begins to twitch and the black and white pattern on it begins to swirl. The body of the creature begins to bubble up. The Sixth Child is struck numb at the sight.  
  
~The Angel is reforming its missing leg. Lance and Yumi don't see it. I have to warn them...~  
  
He charges from his hiding place, gun blazing, as he flips on his radio. "LOOK OUT!"  
  
*****  
  
"What is going on?" asks Makoto Akiyama.  
  
"The Angel...it's regrouping, and the pilots are not prepared. They're going to be destroyed!" says Aoba.  
  
"No. Look. The Sixth Child. He's flanking it." says Hyuga.  
  
*****  
  
"LOOK OUT!" comes the voice of Nicholas over the radio, causing both Lance and Yumiko to look up with a start. The sight before them is unsettling, to say the least. The Angel has begun to reform, a new leg growing from the stump that remains from it's severed leg. The new leg is almost completely reformed, when the Angel is knocked off of its feet by a streak of yellow as Unit-14 slams into it.  
  
"Hurry up! Get her out of there and help me!" comes Nicholas's voice over the radio.  
  
This pulls to other two back to their task at hand. Eva Unit-04 is literally throwing the rubble off of the trapped Skirmisher Unit. The catlike Eva is likewise struggling against the fallen blocks entrapping it, causing dust to rise as they begin to give way.  
  
With one last push, the mortar and brick trapping the Eva fly off and Unit-15 is once again on its feet. It dives to the side, landing in a roll that ends with it on its feet, holding its prog spear and ready to attack. Rising to its feet, the skirmisher twirls its spear in one hand. It advances on the Angel, which is still struggling with Unit-14.  
  
"Lay down covering fire. I'm going in for the core." Yumiko radios to Lance.  
  
He commands Unit-04 to pick up the rifle and opens fire. The bullets bounce harmlessly off of the Angel's AT Field. He is forced to start and stop firing the gun as the struggling mass that is Unit-14 and the Angel, locked in a deadly grapple, shifts position.  
  
"Dammit, Nick. Get yer ass outta there. You're makin' this more difficult than it has to be." yells Lance.  
  
The following minutes are made up of a chaotic scene. Through the gunfire and thunderous noise of physical impacts, through the horrific screaming produced by the Eva series and the sound of metal on metal produced by hitting an AT Field with a weapon, through all of the blood and dust and bullets, the battle reaches its conclusion.  
  
When the dust settles, the final victor can be seen. Lying on the ground are the remains of the Angel, shredded to ribbons of tattered flesh. Standing victorious over it is Unit-15, minus about 50% of its armor plating, yet still defiantly holding the prog spear. Behind this are what is left of Unit-14 and Unit-04. Both have taken many hits, some obviously from the Angel but an equal number from bullet or prog knife or spear. Inside the Eva Units, the pilots are all breathing heavy and tending to their own wounds.  
  
"Well, that didn't go too bad." says Nicholas as they head back to NERV.  
  
*****  
  
"That was the worst display of teamwork I have seen in ages. The three of you fought as if you were the only one in the battle, with little regard for your fellow teammates. Starting next week, we will be adding additional training exercises to your workload. You will learn to fight together, effectively."  
  
The three pilots are sitting in front of the view screen as the video footage of the fight replays in front of them. They all look tired, and ashamed. None of them will look Commander Fuyutski in the eyes as he continues to berate them.  
  
"We will go over this footage again tomorrow, and determine how you could have fought better. Now, go get cleaned up and out of my sight."  
  
As they stand and file out, Fuyutski stops Lance. "Mr. Murphy, I take it you have heard you will be moved to more permanent quarters in Tokyo-3, correct?"  
  
"Yes, sir" replies the diminutive Texan.  
  
"Good. I want you to meet with Private Soseki when you have finished dressing. He will take you to your new apartment and help you move your belongings."  
  
"Yes, sir"  
  
*****  
  
Much later that night, Lance find himself standing at the door to an apartment, surrounded by a pile of his possessions. He has a couple bags full of clothes, his guitar, and a suitcase full of music and books. Rubbing his eyes and yawning slightly, he steps up to the door and knocks. As the door opens, he smiles wide in preparation of seeing Nicholas again.  
  
He is not prepared to see Yumiko instead.  
  
"What the hell are you doin' here? Where's Nicholas?"  
  
Her expression shows she is about as happy to see him as he is to see her. "He's not here, and isn't going to be here any time soon. I'm here because I live here. Why are YOU here?"  
  
"I guess I live here now too."  
  
"The hell you do. I live alone, and plan on keeping it that way for as long as I can."  
  
"Well, the Commander told me this was where I was bein' moved to. I got these papers here that say so." He hands her a sheaf of papers, which she immediately takes into her hands and scans over. As she reads, her expression goes from one of mild annoyance to horror.  
  
"You...you really are living here? I have to live with...with YOU? Why?"  
  
Lance shrugs as he shoulders past her and into the apartment with his belongings. "I dunno, runt. But, whatever the reason, I guess we're stuck together for a while. So...which room is mine?"  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
A/N: I know that this one took a bit longer to get out. I will also admit that it is probably not quite as good as the previous chapters. Unfortunately, the story is sort of at the point where there are a lot of little nothings, with the occasional hint at something bigger down the line. I also find that there are a lot of characters that need to be covered. I may have to start throwing in random deaths to take care of this problem. *g* Anyhow, it all boils down to a lot that has to be covered in a short space. I'll try to keep things fresh, though. I promise that, by the end of the story, this will all have been worth it. 


	6. Episode 06: Night on the Town

Evangelion - Exodus  
  
Episode Six: Night on the Town  
  
By Jonathan Jordan  
  
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care. Special thanks to my good friend Gem Star (read her stuff) for allowing my to use her character, Yumiko. Some of Yumi's portion of this chapter was based off of conversations with her creator.  
  
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LANCE AND YUMIKO'S APARTMENT; TOKYO-3  
  
TWO WEEKS LATER  
  
The small apartment is a mess. There are clothes lying all over the place, books stacked in piles everywhere, and a sink full of dirty dishes. Yumiko is standing in the entryway to the place, a look of disgust on her face. She removes her shoes and fully enters the room, scowling as she carefully makes her way through the mess and to the room that used to serve as a storage room for her. She pounds on the door.  
  
"Lance Murphy, you get out here right now!"  
  
There is a muffled sound of someone speaking, followed by a loud thud. A few moments later, Lance opens his door. He rubs his head as he looks down at the angry girl before him. "What's wrong, runt? You startled me. Made me fall out of bed."  
  
"Good. Maybe it will knock some sense into you. What is with this mess?" She gestures around the apartment, taking in all of the clutter.  
  
"You call that a mess? That's nothin'. You shoulda seen my room back at NERV-02. Now, that was a mess..."  
  
"I don't really care. You aren't living there now. You are living in MY apartment, so you need to keep your mess confined to the room I am letting you use."  
  
"Hey now, watch it runt. I didn't wanna live here any more than you wanted me to. But, I am living here now and we both're gonna have to get used to it. I'll try to be better about keepin' the place clean. But, you gotta start treatin' me better in return."  
  
"You clean up this mess, and I'll think about it."  
  
*****  
  
NERV-02; TOKYO-3  
  
LATER THAT WEEK  
  
Lance is walking down the hall of NERV, on his way to the locker room. He has another teamwork training session in an hour, and he wants to get some time in Unit-04 in before it begins. He is carrying a duffel bag on his shoulder, filled with his plug suit and a change of clothes. He is muttering to himself.  
  
"Damned runt. She's impossible to live with. It's like having an annoying little sister and bossy neighbor all in one little package. I don't know why they want me to live with her anyhow. What could she teach me?"  
  
He is so preoccupied with his thoughts and complaints; he doesn't notice the young woman wave at him.  
  
"Hi Lance."  
  
He stops, looking to see who was talking to him. "Oh, hello...um....Makoto, right?"  
  
She nods, blushing slightly. "Yeah. So...um...what are you doing?"  
  
"I'm gonna go mess around in Unit-04 for a while. Get her all warmed up for the trainin' today."  
  
"Oh...that's a good idea, I guess."  
  
"Yeah. Look, I don't wanna be rude, but I gotta run if I'm gonna have any time before the training. I'll talk to you later, 'k?"  
  
"Huh? Oh...yeah...sure. Later..."  
  
Lance hurries off down the hall, turning a corner and disappearing. Makoto Akiyama watches him go, her mouth open as if she has something more to say. She sighs.  
  
~Good going Makoto. Way to impress. Maybe next time, you will actually talk to him.~  
  
*****  
  
The battlefield is littered with the corpses of the dead. Wherever one looks, all that can be seen is the rubble and debris left in the aftermath of a battle. Smoke fills the air and the smell of gunpowder is evident on the breeze. Off in the distance, the sounds of the city are masked by nearby gunfire.  
  
Something darts from behind a building. Something nearly as tall as the structure it was hiding behind. Something tan, with feline qualities. Slipping through the shadows, moving from building to building, the form that is Unit-15 stalks its prey.  
  
"Lance, Nicholas, cover me. I'm moving in"  
  
"Roger"  
  
"You got it runt."  
  
Yumiko rolls her eyes. ~Idiot. I'll show him what a "runt" can do.~  
  
She rushes forward, flanked by the Evangelions of yellow and silver. Her spear is in her hand, still retracted to prevent it from getting in the way until needed. The other Units have their guns in hand, and are scanning the area for any signs of movement.  
  
"There's only one left. We can take it down if we stick together" radios Nicholas.  
  
As soon as he speaks, there is a rumbling followed by an explosion. One of the buildings behind the trio bursts out in a shower of brick fragments as a black shape, vaguely humanoid, erupts from the wreckage.  
  
The three Eva Units immediately spring into action. Unit-04 and Unit-14 split up, each circling around opposite sides of their foe, rifles firing. This serves to distract the creature from the fact that Unit-15 has extended its spear and has crouched low. The twin Units stop their run, still firing on the enemy from opposite ends. The creature lets forth a scream of sorts, sounding much like nails on a chalkboard, and shoots out dual tentacles to wrap around the weapons of the Evas.  
  
Unit-15 takes this as the sign to attack. Yumiko commands the machine to leap into the air, twirling her spear. As she descends, she aims the prog spear point down, landing atop the creature and driving the weapon straight through. The beast twitches a couple of times, before falling prone. The tentacles constricting the other two Units fall limp.  
  
There is a moment of tense silence as all three pilots wait for the behemoth to reawaken. This is broken by the radio.  
  
"YEEHAW! We did it. We took all five of the critters down!"  
  
Commander Fuyutski's voice comes over the radio. "That you did. You are all showing much improvement over your performance a couple weeks ago. You are almost fighting like a real time now. I am proud of you all."  
  
The three pilots smile inside their entry plugs and begin to head back in to go finish up the training session with a clean up and debriefing. Before they can reach their destination, however, an air raid-style siren begins to go off. Commander Fuyutski comes back on the communicator.  
  
"It looks like you will have a chance to use this teamwork you have all just finished testing. We have readings of another Angel attack. Reload and make your way to Area 2305. You will engage Angel there."  
  
*****  
  
The three Evangelions hold hitter positions, hiding behind the buildings of eh city in anticipation of the Angel's arrival. Each of the plots sits at the controls of their Unit, the tension apparent on their faces. In the distance, a large greenish blob slowly makes its way forward. In the center of the jelly like mass, a sphere can be seen floating.  
  
Yumiko appears on the communications channel. "On my signal, we move out like we did earlier. You two circle around as I take the thing from the front."  
  
"Got it. You just make sure you let us know if there is a change in plan." replies Nicholas.  
  
Lance radios his agreement and the trio break away from their position to engage the Angel.  
  
*****  
  
After the fight, the pilots find themselves watching the footage of their performance. They all sit silently, eyes on the screen, as the video plays.  
  
They see the initial charge, orchestrated as planned with Unit-14 and Unit-04 circling to either side of the green glob of slime. Unit-15 rushes down the middle, spear extended and ready for an attack.  
  
Following this, the images become hard to follow. There is a lot of gunfire. The Angel sprouts a tentacle, which wraps around Unit-15. The skirmisher unit is drawn into the body of the angel, slowly being crushed by the pressure. The other two Units unload their ammunition clips into the thing. Then, the unexpected happens. While Unit-14 drops back to reload, Unit-04 rushes in with its progressive knife drawn. There is another flurry of motion, causing the image to blur from the speed. Then, everything goes still.  
  
The tape pauses here, and Commander Fuyutski walks to the front of the room. He is followed by Sub-commander Oliver. The lights turn on in the darkened room.  
  
"I wanted to tell you three that I am proud. This was a great improvement from the last time. Your teamwork managed to defeat the Angel." commends Fuyutski.  
  
"You call that teamwork? We got our asses handed to us. If it wasn't for lance..."  
  
"Aw hell, Nick, I didn't do nothin' special. I wasn't tryin' to show off. I just didn't wanna let Yumi get herself killed without tryin' to do something."  
  
"Lance....you did do something special. You...saved me. I...owe you."  
  
Lance and Nicholas both look at Yumiko in amazement.  
  
"Yumi, did you just thank him?" asks Nicholas.  
  
"Yeah, I did. Don't get too used to it. I don't think he's going to be earning it often."  
  
*****  
  
Somewhere in Tokyo-3, a lone penguin scavenges through the wreckage of the place it once called home. The rotted fish it has been eating no longer remain. Even the fish it deemed inedible have long since been eaten anyhow. The creature is weak from hunger. It wanders aimlessly in a daze.  
  
There is movement off to the right. Some falling rock as something shifts. The penguin stops where it is, cautiously looking around. There is nothing but still silence. carefully, the black and white bird begins to waddle forward again, still in search of a meal. It pecks around at various small piles here and there, hoping to find some small morsel. An insect, a worm, a moldy crumb of bread. Anything, so long as it is able to be eaten.  
  
There is another noise, and more rocks shift to the right of Pen-pen's location. Again, the penguin look toward the sounds and waits. This time there is something to be seen. A small glimmer in the rubble. A familiar glimmer.  
  
Canned sardines.  
  
He perks up, his stomach emitting a loud grumbling. Slowly, he creeps toward the potential source of food. With great caution, he steps closer and closer to the partially buried can. He keeps a look out in every direction, in case there is someone else out here to steal his find before he can get it. Seeing that he is in all ways alone, the penguin jumps onto the can and begins to tear away at it.  
  
He doesn't notice the rocks continue to shift and move above. As he voraciously attacks the can, ripping holes in the thin metal top and slurping down the fishy oil within, he doesn't see the pile of rubble shift.  
  
He never notices as a slab of concrete comes tumbling down on top of him, leaving nothing more than a slick red stain on the dirt.  
  
NERV-02; NEVADA DESERT  
  
Inside NERV-02 there is a sub-level apart from all other sub-levels. To arrive at this level, one has to take a lift down to an unused section of the facility, walk half way across the level, and enter a room that has been closed off. In this room is a doorway, hidden by a set of cabinets. Behind this door is another lift, leading to a transport tube. Taking the transport will take you to the location of the secret lab.  
  
It is impossible to find this lab unless you know the exact location and method of travel. Even with all of his investigation and espionage, Adam Turner has not been able to locate it.  
  
Until today. Today, he is being led there by Commander Young. Today he begins work on the secret project known only by the designation 11-6357. Today, his secondary job of selling secrets becomes much more lucrative.  
  
*****  
  
Dr. Stockton is in his lab, looking over the findings from the Greer Murder Investigation. He reads over the reports, taking notes on any of the information he finds useful or out of the ordinary. It is nearly an hour later that he is finally satisfied with what he has.  
  
He scans over his notes one last time, and begins to enter the data into his computer.  
  
~Approximate shoe size. Height as determined by the force and angle of the impact. Assumed gender. Cross reference against the list of NERV-02 personnel. Eliminate those I can account for. Tabulate results, and...~  
  
He falls back into his chair with a gasp. "Only three results?"  
  
On the screen, three names flash: Colin Stathis, Hans Jameson, and Adam Turner.  
  
LANCE AND YUMIKO'S APARTMENT; TOKYO-3  
  
A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THE BATTLE  
  
Lance wanders out of the small room he calls his own, in search of something to eat. As he walks past the living room, he sees Yumiko flop onto the couch with a loud sigh. He detours from his route to the kitchen to stand behind the couch and look down at her. She is lying with her face buried in a pillow.  
  
"What's up, runt?"  
  
Her response is muffled by the pillow over her face. He sits there, knowing she will have to look up to breathe sometime. Finally, she does just that.  
  
He smirks. "Long day I take it?"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
"Poor thing. Overworking ya at NERV again, aren't they? Those extra training sessions are a killer."  
  
She shrugs in response. "Well, that and homework."  
  
"Homework huh? What ya got? One of the benefits of having me here is that I already graduated."  
  
"I am already done...."  
  
"Well then, what's the problem?" he says as he gives her a noogie. She scowls up at him.  
  
"Just tired s'all."  
  
He flashes a huge smile. "Aw, you know what you need? You need a night out on the town. I'm gonna treat you to the wildest night of your life."  
  
Yumiko merely blinks at this. Lance grins even wider and grabs her arm. Dragging her up to her feet and to her bedroom, he leaves her at the door. We're gonna go out and party like there's no tomorrow." He begins to dig through her closet, tossing clothes about the room as he searches for something he finds suitable. She stands in the doorway, watching him with a bewildered look on her face. "Now, to find somethin' for you to wear...."  
  
"Out? But where?"  
  
He pulls out one of her nicer looking dresses and turns to face her with a wink. "I've got some buddies that can get us into some of the local clubs. They'll slip us in through the back door."  
  
"I've never been to a club before."  
  
"I know. You're too young to get into the good ones. That's why my friends are gonna be called upon to get us inside. They never ask your age once you're in. It'll be a lot of fun."  
  
"Alright." she says reluctantly.  
  
"Yeehaw, that's more like it. You put this on while I go get changed," he says with a grin, leaving to give her some privacy. He goes into his room and finds the nicest shirt and pair of jeans he owns, pulling out his good hat before moving off to the bathroom to do some last minute grooming. When Yumiko finally leaves her room, he looks her over.  
  
"Dang, runt, you sure do look mighty nice. Who'da thought you could clean up so good."  
  
She smirks and shrugs "Apparently not you."  
  
He laughs and links arms with her. "Well then, shall we be off? I think it's time I went out and made all of the local fellas jealous. And time for you to learn how to party, American style."  
  
"Fine then cowboy. Lead the way."  
  
*****  
  
After Lance and Yumiko have been walking for about 15 minutes or so, the sound of techno music can be heard. Up ahead they see a building with bright lights and a line of people waiting to get in. Yumiko blinks in surprise, sticking close to Lance. He chuckles as he leads her around the back, into an alley.  
  
"Are you sure I can do this?" she asks him.  
  
"Well, it ain't exactly legal...but we can get away with it. Now, you stay right here while I go inside to talk to my friend. I'll be right back."  
  
She nods and settles herself down on a pile of boxes outside the door, waiting quietly.  
  
Time passes. First 5 minutes, then 10, then 15. Just as Yumiko is starting to wonder if Lance will ever come to get her, the back door opens  
  
"Hey, sorry 'bout that. Come on in runt."  
  
She blinks and enters, feeling a little timid at the new experience. Lance drags her through the crowded club, past the dance floor and straight to the bar.  
  
"One of the great things about this country, lower drinking age."  
  
Yumiko blinks in surprise, having never expected that from him. She seems very nervous in the crowd. Lance places one hand on her back, smiling.  
  
"Your to stiff. You need to loosen up. What you need is a bit of alcohol in you. That'll get you more relaxed."  
  
"Me? But...but...I've never."  
  
"I know, which is why we're gonna do it. You don't need to worry, Lance'll keep you from doin' anything too stupid."  
  
She looks from him to the bar nervously. "I guess."  
  
He places his arm around her shoulder. "Trust me. You think I'd do something that would be bad for you?"  
  
"I guess not...but I've never done anything like this before..."  
  
"That's why I wanted to do this with you like this. It means I can supervise and make sure you are safe. I'll teach you how to drink the right way. Trust me, you'll like it."  
  
"Alright." She takes a deep breath. "Never say I will not try something new."  
  
"That's my girl," he says as he drags her over to the bartender. Looking at the young man behind the bar, lance orders. "Two shots of the strongest thing you got."  
  
While he is ordering, Yumiko takes the opportunity to look around. The crowd is made up of mostly the younger people from the area, or those who are old enough to get in. Interspersed throughout the crowd are a couple of tourists and other assorted foreigners. She shrugs softly, turning back to Lance. He is grinning and holding two shot glasses of something vaguely greenish in color  
  
"Here ya go. Drink up. Best to just sort of let your throat open and down it all in one go. Otherwise, this stuff'll burn a hole in your head."  
  
He laughs and drinks his shot, letting out a small yell as it goes down. "Ah, smooth." he sputters.  
  
She takes her glass from him and, looking extremely nervous, does as he told her to. As soon as it hits her mouth, she starts to cough. Lance slaps her on the back.  
  
"That's the way to do it. Bartender, give us another round!"  
  
She puts up her hand. "Please, let me get used to this one first."  
  
"Aw, but we can't do that. You take the time to taste it and you're likely to get yerself sick. 'Nother one of these and we'll get you a regular drink."  
  
She looks reluctant to have another drink of any kind, but Lance will not give up. "C'mon...were here to have some fun. Can't do that if you're too tense to do anything. Just trying to loosen you up a bit."  
  
With a sigh, she gives in and takes the new glass. They down their shots again, with the same results as before. Following this, Lance orders her some fruity drink and himself a beer  
  
"Now...you think your ready to get out on the dance floor, runt?"  
  
"Perhaps if you stop calling me runt."  
  
"I'll stop calling you runt when you're taller than me."  
  
She makes an incredulous noise. "That's unlikely to ever happen."  
  
"Then your gonna be runt for a long time." he says as he grabs her hand and drags her to the dance floor.  
  
They dance for quite a while, losing track of the time in their fun. Occasionally they go back to the bar to get more drinks, only to return to the dance floor. After a while, she excuses herself to the restroom. A little while after Yumiko leaves, another woman walks up to Lance. She is joined by another woman. Both of them smile at him as they each take a seat one either side of him.  
  
He smiles and winks. "Well, hello there ladies."  
  
The first woman, in a tight red dress, reaches over to touch his arm. "Hello. My friend and I couldn't help but...notice you."  
  
Her friend, wearing a backless sequined shirt and a pair of very tight black pants, smiles and runs her fingers down his other arm and across his leg. "Yes. We saw you sitting here, all alone, and thought you could use a bit of company."  
  
He grins. "Well, I don't really need any company. But, I ain't gonna turn away any ladies that wanna spend time with me."  
  
Both women giggle at this. The one in the dress leans in close, whispering into his ear. "How about the three of us go get to know each other. A few dances, maybe a drink or two, and we can see where this leads from there?"  
  
Her friend has continued to run her fingers over his arm. Now, however, they begin to move along his leg, moving on toward other regions. He shifts uncomfortably, his face burning with a blush.  
  
"Now, now ladies. I'm here with someone special. It's her night, and I wouldn't want to ruin it by runnin' off on her. Now, if y'all are gonna be here tomorrow night, I will take you up on those dances."  
  
They pout a bit but move off. By the time they have gone and Lance has managed to gain control of his thoughts again, nearly half an hour has passed. Yumiko still is not back.  
  
~Dammit.~ Lance thinks as he wanders back toward the women's bathroom, in search of any sign of her. There is none. Out of desperation, he decides he has to do the unthinkable.  
  
Covering his eyes and apologizing profusely, Lance rushes into the women's room looking for her. "Yumi? Yumiko? Ya in here runt?"  
  
Again, she isn't anywhere to be found. The only sign of her is her purse near the door, half dumped on the floor. This does nothing to make Lance feel any less worried. He scoops the purse back up, shoving what he can of hers back into it, and begins circling the club with it.  
  
"Have you seen the young lady who was carrying this purse? She's about yea tall" he gestures "and was wearing this nice little dress."  
  
For a long time, no one seems to have seen her. Finally, a young man points out the door. "She went that way a few minutes ago"  
  
Lance thanks the man and immediately runs the direction he was pointed, franticly looking for her. She is still nowhere to be seen, though not far away several just barely of age men are seen walking away carrying something between them. Lance runs after them, hoping they have seen her...with a bad feeling about what it is they may be carrying.  
  
As he approaches they glance back and try to walk a bit faster. He begins to run after them, catching up with little effort due in part to the fact that they are encumbered with what they are carrying. As he draws closer, he can see that they are carrying three young women. One depressingly familiar.  
  
He yells out. "You boys best stop right there, put them ladies down, and walk away right now. I don't wanna have to kick yer asses."  
  
"Mind your own business foreigner!" one says as they stop to turn and face him  
  
"Ah, see now, one of them ladies happens to be a very close friend of mine, so this is my business. I will only tell you one more time, put the ladies down or yer gonna get the ass whuppin' of a lifetime."  
  
The three boys look at each other, then back at Lance. Even though they outnumber him, and are a bit taller than he is, they seem to find this is not a fight they wish to have. They drop the women and run.  
  
Lance watches them until they have reached the end of the block, then runs over to the women. "Oh god.....oh god...Yumi...Yumi, are you OK?"  
  
She is out cold and looking to be unconscious. Her clothes are a bit torn, but otherwise she is unharmed. Lance checks over the other women, insuring they are likewise unharmed, before returning his attention to Yumiko.  
  
"Oh god, why did I let her off alone?"  
  
He looks around, suddenly realizing that this is not the best place to have three unconscious women. He fumbles around, attempting to find a way to carry all three women somewhere safe. He has very little luck, since one of the women is at least as tall as he is. As he continues to struggle to find a way to move them, one wakes and looks at him with a shocked expression on her face. She seems about to scream.  
  
"Shh, shh...it's ok ma'am. I'm not gonna hurt ya. Are you all right?"  
  
She nods, still looking like she will scream if he comes anywhere near her.  
  
"Whoa now, no need to get scared. I'll just move over here," he steps back a couple feet "and you tell me what happened. Is that OK?"  
  
"I don't know. I remember walking back and then now I am waking up with you!"  
  
"Well, ma'am, I'm sure you won't believe me or nothing, but I just saved you from a most unsavory bunch. You and the other two over there were being carried away to lord knows where, for lord knows what."  
  
She looks at him doubtfully, then sees the other two unconscious women next to her. She shakes her head and runs away. Lance just sighs.  
  
"Why do they always have to run off like that?"  
  
He continues to look over the remaining woman and Yumiko, trying to figure out how to get them somewhere safe. He continues to look off the direction the boys went, for fear that hey may return, and the direction the woman ran, for fear she will bring police. He knows that they will not listen to a foreigner, and he will have to get NERV to bail him out. Which would require an explanation.  
  
Eventually, the other woman wakes. She has a similar reaction as the last, though seems to believe him as she chooses to call her boyfriend rather than run. When the young man arrives to get her, he glares at Lance but doesn't ask any questions. Finally, only Yumiko remains passed out. lance cradles her in his arms as he carries her back home. With tears in his eyes, he curses himself.  
  
~Dammit Lance, why'd you have to go and do a stupid thing like taking her to a club. You should'a known this was gonna happen.~  
  
*****  
  
When they reach home, he carries her to her room and places her in bed. He stands by her side for a while, just looking down at her sleeping form. Finally, he softly leaves the room and lays down on the couch to sleep, wanting to be close to her room in case she needs him. She wakes not long after, slowly opening her eyes and groaning slightly. Hearing her stirring, Lance quickly rushes into her room.  
  
"Yumi...are you ok?"  
  
She does not speak, but nods slightly.  
  
Lance collapses to the floor by her side, grabbing her in a big hug. She winces slightly from the jolt of the hug, but does not say anything.  
  
"Oh Yumi, I'm so sorry. I should've watched you better. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry." He begins to cry. "I'm ...so...sorry..."  
  
"It's not your fault."  
  
He lets go of her, sitting back so that he can look into her eyes as he speaks. "What happened? You went of to the bathroom, and you never came back."  
  
"I...don't know. I got out of the bathroom and got dizzy.. the next thing I knew I had blacked out."  
  
He hugs her again. "Oh Yumi. I should have been more careful. I didn't think, and you almost got hurt. If something had happened...I...I don't know what I would have done."  
  
"It turned out okay..."  
  
"I swear, I will never do that again. No more sneakin' into clubs. No more teachin' you to drink. We'll stick to the legal activities from now on."  
  
She smiles weakly, rubbing her throbbing forehead. "I had fun up till that whole...blacking out thing..."  
  
He smiles and kisses her on the forehead. "Just go to sleep. Been a long night, and I think we both could use some rest."  
  
"Okay." she says with a yawn.  
  
As he stands, he ruffles her hair. "See ya in the mornin', runt." He leaves her room, but sits just outside the door until he is sure she is safely asleep before he goes to bed himself. It doesn't take long for this. She is awake just long enough for to change. As soon as her head hits the pillow again, she is out.  
  
Lance's sleep is fitful at best, his dreams filled with horrible images of Yumiko and the three men who had taken her.  
  
*****  
  
The next morning, Lance wakes up with a pounding headache and very little actual rest. Yumiko is up when he gets up, making some coffee. He rubs his head and winces at the light, as he stumbles into the kitchen  
  
"Ugh...way too much to drink last night. You doin' all right, runt?"  
  
"My head is killing me."  
  
"Yeah...that's how you can tell it was a good night."  
  
"If you feel terrible in the morning?"  
  
He nods, then realizes the folly in this as his head begins pounding again. "Ugh...oh yeah. Hangover. The price one pays for a good time with alcohol."  
  
"It sucks... coffee?"  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
She pours him a mug handing it to him. He takes it from her with a smile. He thanks her as he takes a sip. "Ah...that's the best cup of joe I've had since I got here."  
  
"I was taught by a master." she says with a chuckle.  
  
Lance begins to laugh out loud, but cuts it short when his head begins to pound yet again. Yumiko sips her own coffee, leaning against the counter. Lance remains silent for a while before looking into her eyes  
  
"So, aside from the obvious problems with last night, ya have fun?"  
  
She blushes. "Yes actually."  
  
He smirks. "Your blushing, runt."  
  
"Yes. Now I am a red runt. Happy?"  
  
"So long as you had a good time last night, yeah."  
  
"I did. Thank you Lance..."  
  
"Aw heck, weren't nothin'. You been working to hard, needed to let off some steam. It was the least I could do for ya."  
  
"Still... thank you."  
  
This causes him to blush now. "You know I'd do just about anything for you. Your like the sister I never had."  
  
She looks down and nods. "And you the brother I..." She stops the statement and shakes her head.  
  
He sets his coffee down, stands, and walks over to her. "C'mere you little runt of a girl." With a grin, he gives her a hug. She sighs, half exasperated and half comforted, as she hugs back.  
  
"Now, don't you have to get to school soon?"  
  
"unfortunately..."  
  
"You want me to give ya a ride there? I gotta be heading of to NERV for some tests anyhow, and your school's on the way."  
  
"Sure."  
  
He quickly finishes his breakfast coffee, grabs a piece of toast for the road, and they head out for the day.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
A/N: I know that I have the drinking age for Japan wrong. My explanation...it's an Alternate Universe. Subtle changes like that happen all the time. So nyah! Also, I know that the death of Pen-pen is sudden and arbitrary. That will happen occasionally throughout the rest of this story. I am taking great pains to make sure I account for all of the major characters from the original. It means that some of them may have something like this occur. Plus, little bastard needed to die. Hehehe. 


	7. Episode 07: Big Brother

Evangelion - Exodus  
  
Episode Seven: Big Brother  
  
By Jonathan Jordan  
  
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care. Special thanks to my good friend Gem Star (read her stuff) for allowing my to use her character, Yumiko. Much of Yumi's portion of this chapter was based off of conversations with her creator.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
NERV-02; NEVADA DESERT  
  
"...living arrangement is improving, I believe." finishes Sub-commander Oliver over the communications channel.  
  
"I'm glad to hear that, Annabelle. Mr. Murphy needs some guidance. he may be good at what he does, but he is still undisciplined and unfocused. From what I hear, the Seventh Child is much the same. Good at her job, but unfocused. This should help both of them greatly."  
  
"I do hope so, sir. As it is, both of them have been testing much lower during training sessions than before the move. This may be having the opposite effect than what we were going for."  
  
"Give it time, Anna. They are still young. You remember what it was like being their age. They will improve."  
  
"If there is nothing else, sir, I have to meet with Commander Fuyutski in an hour."  
  
"Just one more thing..." Commander Young pauses momentarily, trying to formulate his thoughts. "I was...wondering if you...received my package."  
  
Annabelle Oliver blushes slightly. "I did, Charles. Thank you. They were lovely. You should be receiving a package from me in a few days." She winks and smiles as she ends the transmission.  
  
*****  
  
In the dark recesses of NERV-02, the secret project known only as the coded designation "11-6357" moves ever forward. The select few individuals allowed access to this area of the base are hard at work. Technicians scurry to and fro, their supervisors watching as they each perform their assigned task.  
  
There are a number of smaller labs down here, but one lab dominates all others for the level of work going on in it. Within this main lab stand four simple glass cylinders. Each reaches to the ceiling, and is filled with an amber liquid. They also each house a single human body, suspended in the solution and hooked up to numerous wires and tubes. As one of the techs walks by, one of the bodies twitches slightly.  
  
*****  
  
Dr. Stockton flips off the video feed. For the last couple weeks, he narrowed down the lists of suspects to three people, he has been monitoring the staff closely. Each of his candidates for the killer of Lt. Greer has been under constant surveillance.  
  
Colin Stathis, Hans Jameson, and Adam Turner. Each one has an exemplary record of service. Each has had no instance of trouble in their time with NERV. All are considered among the most loyal and trusted of NERV-02's staff.  
  
Yet, one of them is definitely a killer.  
  
~But, who? Which one of them would have had a reason to kill Greer. If only...~ Suddenly, his eyes light up with inspiration. ~Of course. How could I have not realized before? The report. If I had his findings, it might help find his killer.~  
  
An hour later, Charles Stockton is once again at the site of Greer's death. He has walked straight past the spot of hallway where the body was found, blood staining the floor even now. Walking straight past the grisly reminder of what happened down here, and into the room housing the old computer terminal.  
  
~Greer was a smart man. He would have known to use a terminal not connected to the network anymore, to prevent being caught in the investigation. The real question is, was he smart enough to cover his tracks, even after being caught?~  
  
The senior technician sits at the computer and begins searching through the files. His fingers fly over the keys at unimaginable speeds. Lines of code fly past faster than the eye can follow. Eventually, a smile creeps across this face.  
  
"Gotcha" he says to himself.  
  
Then there is a sharp pain in the back of his head, and everything goes black.  
  
*****  
  
Rubbing his head, Charles Stockton sits up and looks around.  
  
~This room...I don't remember it. Where...where am I?~  
  
A voice comes from the darkness. "Ah, you are finally awake. Good. Now we can get down to business."  
  
Dr. Stockton squints into the dark corner, where he can just make out the shape of someone standing. "Who are you? What am I doing here?"  
  
"I'm hurt, Doctor. Emotionally damaged at the knowledge that you would not remember someone you have worked with for so long."  
  
At the man speaks, he steps out of the darkness. At first, only his boots and uniform can be seen. As his ID badge leaves the shadows, it catches what little light is in the room and shines right into Dr. Stockton's eyes. He blinks away the pain and look up into the face of a killer.  
  
He looks into the face of Adam Turner and gasps.  
  
"You? It was you?"  
  
Adam smiles, looking much like a predator toying with its prey. "Of course I did it. He was going to reveal my...extracurricular activities. I couldn't let him do that. So, I stopped him."  
  
"But, why? You had no reason to steal secrets from NERV...and killing Greer...I just don't understand."  
  
"I wouldn't expect you to." Adam says with a sneer. "You are not capable of understanding something like this. You are just too...self-absorbed to understand me. Let me enlighten you. I did it all, because I could. I find secrets and sell them off, to prove that I can do it. The money involved was just icing on the cake. Greer got in the way of my fun, so I had a little fun with him. Just like I am about to have with you."  
  
THE APARTMENT; TOKYO-3  
  
It is a typical night at home for Lance and Yumiko. She is lying on the couch, doing her homework. He is at the table, eating some strange food concoction he has come up with while reading a magazine. The muffled drone of music escapes from the edges of her headphones, bringing sound to a room that would otherwise be deathly silent.  
  
Time passes, and eventually Lance puts his magazine down.  
  
"Hey, runt, I got somethin' I wanted to ask you."  
  
Yumiko doesn't respond. She either doesn't hear, or is just plain ignoring him. It is equally likely to be either. Lance walks over to her, lifting the earphones off of her head.  
  
"Hey, I'm talkin' to you. I had somethin' to ask you."  
  
With a heavy sigh, she looks up at him. "Make it quick. I have a lot of homework to do tonight."  
  
"Well, it's just that I can't help noticin' that you been actin'...well...nicer to me recently. I was just sort of wonderin' what happened to cause it."  
  
"Why? Would you rather I treated you like before?"  
  
He shakes his head. "No, no, it ain't that. It's just sorta confusin' me. I mean, we don't get along at all most of the time, but you almost seem like you don't have me no more. So, what gives?"  
  
She closes her book and sets it aside as she sits up straighter. "Lance, I never hated you. I may have...disliked you when you first showed up, but I didn't hate you. You are...nice."  
  
"Thanks. You ain't too bad yourself. But, that still don't explain why you've been all nice to me."  
  
She rolls her eyes with another sigh. "You really are stupid, sometimes. You saved my life in the last Angel attack. I...owe you. Plus, like I told you, you are nice. I'm not a total bitch, you know."  
  
He chuckles and puts her into a playful headlock, giving her a noogie. "Yeah. You are only half a bitch...'cause you're nothin' but a little runt of a thing. Half the size means half the bitch."  
  
She grabs a pillow from beside her on the couch and swings it at his head, trying to free herself. He grabs a pillow of his own and swings back. The fight continues on for nearly half an hour, only ending when they are both to tired from laughing to continue.  
  
NERV CENTRAL; TOKYO-3  
  
It is the end of a long day at NERV, and the staff are all changing out of their uniforms and back into street clothes before heading homeward. The halls echo with the sounds of conversations as everyone lets the stresses of the day give way to their personal lives. Everyone is glad to be off work, and looking forward to their weekend.  
  
Everyone, that is, except Lance.  
  
He is sitting along, duffel bag in hand, staring off into space.  
  
"Penny for your thoughts." says a heavily accented female voice from behind him.  
  
Looking up in confusion, which gives way to a friendly smile, Lance responds. "Makoto, I didn't know you spoke English."  
  
The young technician blushes. "I...don't, really. I am...learning, though."  
  
"What for? Are you gonna be transferred somewhere else or somethin'?"  
  
She shakes her head. "No. I am learning so that I can speak with you. To make you more comfortable here. You always look so lonely. I just wanted to make you feel...welcome."  
  
He looks at her for a long time, unsure what to say. "You're doin' this...for me?"  
  
She takes a seat next to him, a smile on her face. She places one hand on his. "Of course. I can only begin to imagine how difficult this whole transition must be for you. I'm just trying to make it a little easier."  
  
He smiles back at her. "Well, thanks. I appreciate the effort, even if I ain't been too good at noticin' it."  
  
This elicits a blush from her, and another smile. "Hey, the guys and I are all going out for a drink now that work is done for the day. You want to join us?"  
  
"I dunno. I don't really know any of y'all that well. Don't wanna be the odd man out or nothin', and I'd hate to impose."  
  
"It would not be an imposition at all. I invited you. I'm sure nobody will mind. Just think, this is the best way to get to know everyone."  
  
With a smile, he responds. "All right, you talked me into it. Let me just call home to let Yumi know I ain't gonna be back until late. You know, just so she doesn't worry."  
  
THE APARTMENT; TOKYO-3  
  
Lance returns home later that night, smiling and humming a song he heard on the way home. However, the moment he steps into the house, he remembers the extra "homework" he was given by NERV Command, and his mood instantly changes from chipper to grumpy. He walks past the living room, noticing Yumiko sitting on the couch watching TV. He heads straight for his room to change into something a bit more comfortable, saying a quick greeting along the way. About fifteen minutes later he leaves his room to grab a quick snack.  
  
As soon as he appears by her, Yumiko hides slightly ducking beneath view on the couch. He notices her quick movement and he chuckles to himself with a smile. "Hey now, runt, no need to hide. I ain't mad at you. Just a bit frustrated, havin' to read that manual and all."  
  
She only makes a slight muffled noise as if something is over her face. Lance casually walks through the kitchen. He grabs a package of rice crackers and a can of beer from the fridge before he walks over toward her. "'Scuse me, what was that now? Couldn't quite hear you."  
  
"Nuphin"  
  
"'Nuphin' huh? If it was nothin', why'd ya say anything in the first place." He says as he sits down, looking proud of himself for this feat of logic.  
  
She simply sighs softly, slowly lifting her head a little. Her hair is loose, so it falls in her face. On the pillow before her is a pack of ice. Lance looks at her, then the ice, then back at her  
  
"All right now, what happened?"  
  
"I told you... nuthin..."  
  
"That don't look like nothin' to me. Looks like somethin'. Fess up!"  
  
She sighs and lifts her head. She looks like she has been in a fight. The area around her eye slightly swollen, her lip split. But, then again, her fists are bruised slightly across the knuckle as well.  
  
With a sigh, Lance speaks. "You got yourself into a fight. Again. This time, looks like ya get yer ass handed to ya on a platter. You best tell me the whole story, or the Commander will find out how one of his pilots has been fighting again."  
  
"Just school yard bullies... s'all..." She says as she puts the ice against her knuckles.  
  
"Schoolyard bullies huh? I thought after you beat the tar of that last one they'd've learned. Almost feel sorry for him, but a busted jaw's only appropriate after what he tried to do"  
  
She sighs, closing her eyes and icing her hands some more.  
  
Lance looks at her like a disapproving older brother would. "How 'bout you tell me the truth, or I'll tell the Commander personally."  
  
"It was a group of older kids. They ganged up on me, 'cause of me being a pilot or something. They were angry, so took it out on me."  
  
He nods slowly, thinking this over. "How much older were they?"  
  
"I dunno. somewhere around your age."  
  
"Boys...Girls...'r both?"  
  
"Mostly boys. A couple girls."  
  
He blinks very slowly, the corner of his mouth twitching a bit. "So, yer sayin' that a group of older boys came up and beat the' living crap outta you, with the help of some girls?"  
  
Yumiko looks ashamed. "Yeah..."  
  
"If we were to need to find them, say...now...you think you could tell me where to look?"  
  
"Probably. They always hang around the same place..."  
  
"Well, then, what say we go and pay these boys a visit? I think I might need to have a...talk with them"  
  
With that, he stands and walks back into his room. After a couple of minutes, he comes back out with his leather coat on, slipping something into the pocket. She slowly stands up, following him to the door.  
  
"Now, don' you worry. We'll get this whole thing straightened out. I promise ya, by the time I am done talking with these boys, they won't be causing you any more trouble."  
  
Yumiko looks up at him. She nods, still holding the ice to her eye. Lance opens the door and, with Yumiko leading the way, they leave.  
  
A SMALL RESTAURENT NEAR THE LOCAL SCHOOL; TOKYO-3  
  
Yumiko leads them into the area near hr school, then to a small restaurant like shop. As they walk in, Lance looks around. "All right...which ones are they?" Yumiko gestures to a booth in a corner near the back.  
  
"Take me to them please."  
  
Yumiko seems reluctant but does so, weaving between people and all until she comes to a booth where three boys and two girls sit drinking sodas. Lance motions for Yumiko to stand just behind him as they reach the table. Casually standing, hands in his jacket pockets, he addresses the group.  
  
"Gentlemen, ladies, I believe we have a little something to talk about here."  
  
One of the boys looks up. Oh, do we now?"  
  
In an almost cheerful voice, Lance continues. "Now, I been lead to believe by this young lady here that you boys have some sort of...problem with her. I thought maybe we should discuss this like the civilized folk we are."  
  
"Sure we got a problem with the runt." one of the boys says.  
  
"Well, see, then I guess we should talk it through and try to resolve this like adults." He suddenly whips his hands out of his pockets, a pair of brass knuckles on his hands, and knocks the nearest guy's teeth out. "Too bad for you, I ain't an adult."  
  
The other people at the table take a moment to recover from the shock of the sudden attack. Then, the two boys jump to their feet and come after Lance. One launches himself at the short American, while the second levels a punch at Lance's jaw.  
  
As the two men come at Lance, he ducks the punch thrown by the first, landing a kick to the attacker's kneecap. Unfortunately, he is not quite quick enough to dodge the second boy's tackle...which sends them both crashing through a nearby table. The tackling boy takes the opportunity presented by being on top of Lance to pummel him mercilessly. The two of them hit the floor hard as the table breaks beneath their weight. Lance takes a couple of good hits before he is able to leverage his feet in such a way as to throw the boy off of him, rolling backwards into a crouch as he does so.  
  
Rubbing his jaw, Lance says, "Damn, you're a tough one, ain't you. Not that tough though, what with the whole beatin' up a little girl thing and all."  
  
"little bitch deserved it" The boy says as he leaps at Lance with a snarl.  
  
Lance easily sidesteps the boy's attack, landing a kick to his stomach as he passes by. "And I bet it made you feel like a big boy, hittin' someone half you're size with the help of all you're friends." He lunges at the boy's back. "People like you make me sick. you're all pathetic."  
  
The boy turns catching Lance's fist. "We could have done far worse friend."  
  
Lance responds by kneeing the boy in the groin, causing the attacker to fall to his knees with a short cry. "Which is why I'm goin' easy on you." He follows up the knee with a elbow to the face, breaking the boy's nose. "Something to remember the next time you feel like beatin' up a girl. Ain't right for a boy to hit a lady. You don' respect them, you don' deserve no respect yourself. You or you're friends ever lay a finger on my friend over there again, I'll make sure you never get a chance to regret it."  
  
The boys all begin to crawl away, nursing their injuries. Lance watches them crawl away before he turns his attention back to Yumiko, and the girls that were with the men. The girls have run, and Yumiko is sitting near by in a chair. He walks over to her, limping slightly and rubbing his jaw again as he takes off his brass knuckles.  
  
"I think that talk went well."  
  
Yumiko nods absently.  
  
"You ok, runt?"  
  
She looks kind of dazed as she answers. "Hmmm? Yeah. What about you? You took a couple of decent hits."  
  
He grins and winces as his jaw disagrees with the decision. "Eh, been in my fair share o' fights. Nothin' I can't handle. Now, what say we grab us something to eat and head on home. Sound like a plan, runt?"  
  
She nods and moves to stand up, wobbling a little. Lance rushes over to her, helping her stand up  
  
"You OK?"  
  
"Yeah...just got kind of dizzy..."  
  
"you sure? I don' wanna have let them boys go if you're more hurt than I had thought. Don't you go actin' all stronger than you really are. If you need medical care, you tell me."  
  
"Just...my head kind of hurts. And I am getting really dizzy..." She says, blinking and looking up at him.  
  
"Then we're takin' you in to get looked at, just in case. you wanna go public or a NERV facility?"  
  
She holds the side of her head slightly. "NERV...Public and they will have my head on a silver platter."  
  
He chuckles. "All right. Now, don't get all offended or anything, but you ain't in no condition to walk. I'm gonna pick you up and carry you there. You just rest...and try not to fall asleep on me."  
  
She appears to be reluctant, taking a slight step back and wobbling a little. He catches her by the arm, speaking firmly. "Now, you listen to me. I ain't messing around here. you're hurt, probably worse'n we realize. I'm not lettin' you risk hurtin' yourself more with a fall. I'm carrying you, you're gonna let me do it, and I won't take no for an answer."  
  
With a sigh, she gives in. He carefully picks her up, so that she is sort of lying across his arms, and begins the walk toward a NERV medical center. She holds loosely around his neck, keeping her head down slightly. As they walk, Lance keeps Yumiko talking to make sure she stays awake.  
  
Her voice slurring slightly, Yumiko asks "What's it like...where you're from?"  
  
"I dunno. Different from here. Sort of."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah. Can't really describe how it's different. Just sorta...feels off here, you know?"  
  
"I'm sorry." She says, sounding a little drowsy.  
  
"No need. It's not like I ain't havin' a good time here. You make a good roommate. I just sort of get homesick sometimes. It's just kind of lonely being the only American here."  
  
"I...wish I could help."  
  
"You're doin' an ok job at it. The way you keep gettin' into trouble, makes me to busy to remember home that much." he says with a grin.  
  
She lowers her head. "Sorry"  
  
"No need to be sorry, runt. you're like the little sister I never had. It's kind of nice havin' someone to take care of, even if you do take care of me almost as much as I do you."  
  
"then we really are like siblings. Give and take, and mutual assistance."  
  
"Yeah. Meetin' you's been a good thing in my book."   
  
Noticing her beginning to drift off to sleep, he shakes her ever so slightly. "Don't fall asleep now! I told you, you gotta stay awake."  
  
"But I'm tired..." she mumbles.  
  
"I know, but you gotta stay awake a bit longer. I ain't an expert, but I seem to remember hearin' somewhere that head injuries and sleeping are a bad combination. I don't want you dyin' on me."  
  
She sounds a bit scornful "I won't die..."  
  
"That's right, you won't. 'Cause, if you do, I will follow you into whatever heaven or hell you end up in and drag you're runty ass back here so I can kick it for dyin' on me. Now...stay awake!"  
  
She mumbles something in response, but keeps her eyes open until they finally reach the entrance to NERV.  
  
"I gotta put you down for a second to get my id card out. You stand right here. Don't sit or lie down. if you need to, use me for support."  
  
She nods, standing there after he sets her down. She seems a little unsteady, but doesn't use him for support. He fishes around in his pockets for his card, swipes it a couple of times before it finally registers, and picks her up again. "Ok. Let's get you to a medical center."  
  
She nods mumbling something again.  
  
"Speak up runt. you're driftin' off."  
  
Yumiko doesn't reply, but for a soft sort of noise. Worried, Lance shakes her a bit. "Yumi...you best not be drifting off or I'm gonna have to slap you around a bit."  
  
Lance finds a place to set her down, leaning up against a wall. He slaps her, gently at first but progressively harder until she responds. "Dammit, runt. Why you gotta be so stubborn."  
  
She opens her eyes slowly. "Owwww...that hurts."  
  
"You start to drift off like that any more, and I'll do it again. Now, you stay awake. We're almost there."  
  
He picks her up again, once more carrying her toward the nearest facility. Yumiko continues to rub her cheek, eyes half open. She softly speaks. "Again, owww."  
  
Lance chuckles. "Sorry..."  
  
"S'okay...was necessary."  
  
"Yeah, but it doesn't make me feel any less sorry. We're here, let's get you inside and checked out now."  
  
He carries her inside the medical center and wait for someone to greet them. While they wait for a doctor, they sit in the waiting room and talk. "So, wanna tell me about those guy who beat you down? Sound like they were doin' it for more reasons than just plain jealousy."  
  
"Just old school friends...sorta..."  
  
"Explain. you're gonna have to tell the doctor what happened anyhow, and you just know the Commander's gonna hear about this now."  
  
"Yeah...I know..."  
  
"So...talk. Tell me about them. "  
  
She lowers her head a bit, hunching her shoulders. "It's just school politics. I am younger they beat on me...all there is."   
  
"There's more to it than that. Older kids beating on younger kids don't usually have the end result of someone ending up in a hospital with a head injury."  
  
"Possible head injury."  
  
"Ok, ok...possible head injury. What about how they kept saying something about you deserving it? Now, I been livin' with you for a while now. I know how you can be sorta...well, no way to say it other than to just say it. You can be a right bitch at times. So, what'd you do to piss them boys off?"  
  
She doesn't answer, just drawing her shoulders up and crossing her arms. He shrugs. "Fine, you don't wanna tell me I won't push. I also won't be able to stand up for you if the Commander gets pissed about this."  
  
With a sigh, she speaks up. "They have been singling me out and picking on me for weeks. So I stood up to me and fought back..."  
  
"You sure that's it?"  
  
"They know I'm a pilot too..."  
  
"Can't be easy, havin' people know about that and all."  
  
She shakes her head.  
  
He gives her a little hug. "I can't say I quite understand the feeling, since I ain't even really an official pilot. But, I know how it feels to be different. You should jus' come and talk to me about it sometime, of you need to."  
  
"That would be...good."  
  
"Ok then...no more fighting? At least, not without me."  
  
"She smiles slightly. "Deal."  
  
Right around this time, the doctor shows up and leads them to the back. The two of them follow quietly. The doctor performs a number of tests and examinations on Yumiko, taking copious notes and asking a lot of questions. In the end, she is found to have a moderate concussion, which was causing her drowsiness and intense headache, as well as a severe bruise on her temple where she was hit. She seems to have a few other small problems but nothing truly terrible. Lance is visibly relieved, though he pulls the doctor outside for a few minutes. Yumiko can hear muffled sounds of conversation, followed by some shouting from Lance. He suddenly bursts into the room and grabs her arm.  
  
"C'mon runt, we're done here. let's go get the food and go home."  
  
Yumiko nods, getting up still a bit unsteady but getting better. He rushes her out of the medical center, shooting the doctor a dirty look as they pass.  
  
"What you wanna eat, runt? Anything at all, my treat."  
  
She shakes her head. "You decide, I am really in the mood for whatever.. but why the rush?"  
  
"Nothin' to worry you're pretty little head about. I just didn't like that place. Anyhow...how about we go to that one place you like. The one with the sushi?" He says, shuddering at the mention of sushi.  
  
She shakes her head again. "How about a burger?"  
  
He looks down at her, shocked "You really did get hit hard. you hate that kind of stuff normally."  
  
"Eh. I need to open up to new things...right?"  
  
He grins and nudges her a bit. "Not tonight you don't. You've had enough excitement for one day. You deserve a good, traditional, meal to make up for it. We can try new things tomorrow."  
  
"If you think you can stands some traditional Japanese food... what about ramen?"  
  
"Sure thing. You jus' tell me where we wanna go to get it, and we can have us some "raw-men"."  
  
She laughs softly and nods. "This way." She leads him to a little ramen cart down the street. "I think you will like this."  
  
"Sure..."  
  
She smiles and speaks to the owner of the cart, who makes him a plain bowl of beef ramen and her a plain chicken. It is amazingly cheap. Lance tastes his. "Hmmm, not to bad."  
  
"See. There you go. Japanese food isn't bad, if you give it a chance."  
  
He just sticks his tongue out at her, laughing, as they finish their meal and head home.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
A/N: Just a quick note to say that the I am going to be much slower in my updates for a while. I am going to be devoting the month of November to writing an original story, instead of fanfiction. So, There will be nothing new from me that month. I will try to get another chapter or two out before then, though. Also, I know that this is a bit of a slow one. It will get more exciting...I promise. 


End file.
